NEWS 7 before — referencing the 14 volumes of Rob and Smith ’ s Operative Surgery he had brought with him in his suitcase .
Trimbow streamlined management : 2 † COPD ( 100 / 6 / 10 ) + severe asthma ( 200 / 6 / 10 )
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NEWS 7 before — referencing the 14 volumes of Rob and Smith ’ s Operative Surgery he had brought with him in his suitcase .
He would take the relevant volume to surgery , following the steps “ like a recipe you would use in cooking ”.
“ I ended up staying for three years , because they could not find anyone else .
“ But by doing a lot of surgery , I did gain expertise and confidence .”
Dr Freedman and his family eventually returned to Victoria , where he took up a role as a rural surgeon in Swan Hill in 1978 , coming to know most of the patients he operated on .
“ You did not have the anonymity that city surgeons enjoy . So if you made a mistake and got a complication , the whole town knew about it .”
Dealing with trauma patients was the most challenging surgical work , and one terrible memory stands out .
“ One evening at about midnight , a young man came in with massive chest injuries after a motorbike accident ,” Dr Freedman recalls .
“ I was called in , we put in drips and tried to resuscitate him but , within an hour and a half , he succumbed .
“ But the thing about that night was that the sister in charge helping me was his mother .”
Painting offered a relief from the stresses of surgery , and Dr Freedman says he would take off into the country with his canvas , oils and easel .
“ I could go from taking out a rectum , and within 10 minutes , I would be out in the middle of a valley with a few sheep and a couple of parrots sitting in the tree above me .
“ It helped get my mind off the trauma of the hospital as it takes an immense amount of concentration . You cannot think of anything else while you are doing a painting .”
After 32 years , Dr Freedman retired from his practice and did locum work in remote centres , such as Broken Hill , NSW , finally retiring in 2016 , aged 72 .
He says his artistic talents have many parallels with his 40-year career as a general surgeon .
“ Surgery does involve a certain amount of hand – eye co-ordination and concentration ,” he says .
“ And you have to adopt a stepwise approach . It is the same in painting .
“ If you know what the steps are , you can take out a kidney safely .
“ And if you know what the steps are to create a watercolour of a bird , you can do it .”
He encourages other doctors to foster a creative outlet , so when it comes time to hang up the stethoscope , they have an absorbing activity in their lives .
“ To some extent , painting is a bit of a selfish and lonely pastime , but it is very rewarding ,” Dr Freedman says .
“ But it is nowhere near as rewarding as being a surgeon when you actually intervene in people ’ s lives directly , often at times of crisis .”
THINK
TRIPLE
*
THINK
TRIMBOW1
* Trimbow 100 / 6 / 10 & 200 / 6 / 10 are indicated for maintenance treatment ; in adults with asthma not adequately controlled with a maintenance combination of medium dose or high dose ICS / LABA respectively , and who experienced ≥1 exacerbation ( s ) in the previous year . Trimbow 100 / 6 / 10 is indicated in adults with moderate to severe COPD who are not adequately treated by ICS / LABA or LABA / LAMA . 1
PBS
LISTED FOR COPD ( 100 / 6 / 10 ) 2
Trimbow streamlined management : 2 † COPD ( 100 / 6 / 10 ) + severe asthma ( 200 / 6 / 10 )
†
The only pMDI PBS-listed for both COPD ( 100 / 6 / 10 ) + severe asthma ( 200 / 6 / 10 ) 2
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PBS Information : Authority required ( STREAMLINED ). Severe Asthma ( 200 / 6 / 10 mcg presentation only ). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( 100 / 6 / 10 mcg presentation only ). Criteria Apply . Refer to PBS for full information .
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Abbreviations : COPD : chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ; ICS : inhaled corticosteroid ; LABA : long-acting beta 2 agonist ; LAMA : long-acting muscarinic antagonist ; PBS : Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ; pMDI : pressurised metered dose inhaler . References : 1 . Trimbow Approved Product Information . 2 . Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ( PBS ). www . pbs . gov . au . Chiesi Australia Pty Ltd , Hawthorn East , VIC . 3123 , Australia . Tel : + 61 3 9077 4486 ; Fax : + 61 3 8672 0792 ; Email : medinfo . au @ chiesi . com . Copyright © Chiesi 2024 . All rights reserved . Date of preparation : May 2024 . AU-TRI-2400081 . CHIE00185C .