Is This The End?

Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893)
Father of Modern Neurology

This is my last week of neurology attachment. As a student, over the past five weeks I have been exposed to general neurology, the branch of medicine that deals with diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. I think a major part of my enjoyment in doing this placement is because of my great interest in how the brain works (who isn't interested in how the brain works anyway?).

Over the last five weeks, I have learned about how things can go wrong in different parts of our brain, and I have seen how this manifests in a myriad of symptoms: funny sensations, electrical pains, terrible headaches, shakes of the hands, twitching of the neck, pumping of the muscles, memory loss, speech impairment, or even blindness with normal functioning eyes!

Surely, I have come far to do this clinical attachment now. I still remember that almost a decade ago (!) we were taught in school the names of the different parts of the brain - cerebrum, cerebellum and medulla oblongata - and we also had to remember their different function. Like everyone else, I was fascinated by their wonderful names and intrigued with the brain itself, but I have never really thought then that one day I would be learning more about the brain!

Well, that is what I am doing now indeed. Looking back to where I come from: a curious child kept busy with school in the mornings, homework in the evenings, piano lesson on Saturdays and TV or cinema on Sundays; even if my life journey ends here, I'm very pleased and satisfied with it. But this is not the end - not yet.

There are two ways of looking at life. Either see it as a journey to reach a certain destination. Or see the whole life itself as a destination: Every new day is a destiny of all the days that have gone past.