REFLECTIONS: The Reunion
by Teresita Bacani-Oropilla, MD
They decided to meet at a new restaurant for lunch, two old friends. They still could drive cars themselves, no wary eyes watching their every trip, ready to tell them to“ stop!”
Both were without their beloved spouses, the latter being gone on to the next life. No one would ever believe that the man had been the bastion and president of both the prestigious associations of physicians in Louisville and Kentucky, had raised a family of physicians and a professional and had taken personal care of a generation of patients.
The woman was likewise a retired physician, a vintage of WWII who was raised and trained in the American tradition. She also treated patients in the Philippines and Louisville in her lifetime, children, adults, veterans. And, like him, she had children to carry on her profession.
They talked about the good old days when they raised their children, boasted about their accomplishments and definitely had a say on what they would become. Both had practiced the old way in which they were not limited to a certain amount of time to see or discuss a patient’ s illness and be admonished for doing so. They were amused that their children could now be the doctors of their friends and previous patients.
As an example, a middle-aged lady came for a checkup with her gynecologist and previous obstetrician. Out comes a young doctor with the same name, the old doc’ s son. Surprise?! Introductions, please!
An old lady calls at night for her doctor. She has a stomachache. A machine answers. Times have changed. The machine refers her to the doctor’ s machine who tells her to go to the nearest clinic or the emergency room. She calls the clinic whose machine tells her the clinic is closed at night. She calls the emergency room who suggests to get an ambulance to see the people in the ER.
Her stomach still aches. She hasn’ t talked to people so far. Just machines referring her to machines!! Where are the people? The healers? The ones with voices that know what you are suffering from and tell you so? Not cold machines referring you to each other!
So the two old friends think there must be a bridge between the two systems, to preserve the humanity and reduce the fears of people who are sick or think they need help, not just the new non-personal system that ignores their fears.
No doubt the new inventions, studies, communications have undergone tremendous leaps in diagnosing and curing all that ails mankind. Have we forgotten that man has both body and soul that needs caring?
That is what two old friends were figuring out! What think you?
Dr. Bacani-Oropilla is a retired pediatrician and psychiatrist.
December 2025 31