This is dedicated to all who have suffered the painful growth of a wisdom tooth! Because I have known what that pain really is recently. I am a resident of CV Raman Nagar, Bangalore. I had got my tonsils removed some four years back. I some times get throat infections, but it becomes alright after I take one or two of the tablets prescribed by my surgeon. This time, a week back, I had severe throat pain. I tried all self-medication, but nothing helped. On 2nd August, a Saturday, unable to bear the pain any more, I went in search of an ENT doctor at 8 in the night. Since most of the doctors had closed for the day, I called the helpline and got to know about Kakde Nursing Home in New Tippasandra. I reached there and asked for an ENT specialist. When enquired if an ENT specialist was available, I was told by the receptionist that Mr. C.R Kakde was a general physician, and his son was an ETN specialist. The place was pretty crowded, with many people waiting to meet the doctors even at eight in the night. After some long minutes of painful wait, I was directed to a room. I saw an elderly person greeting me; he was accompanied by a young man with a white coat on him and a nurse. I assumed Mr. Kakde and his son to be examining the patients together. Soon I was asked some questions by the doctor, who was a general physician, and his son, the ENT specialist kept observing the examination. Then Mr. Kakde tried swiping away my fear and pain with his words, which really dint help much, because I was in terrible pain, and only medicines could help me. With his deep analysis, he reported that I had an allergy in my throat and there is some inflammation to the left side, and that is the reason for the ache in the left side of my head. I was totally amazed at the diagnosis, as I really had pain only towards my left, which was not usual. They had a medicine store inside the room itself. The senior doctor dictated the medicines, with the junior doctor writing them down in my slip as he was hearing their names and the nurse laying them on the table – I must say it was a good team work! With the medicines and lots of hopes to get rid of the pain, I paid a lot of money in the counter. I thought anything to reduce my pain – though the tablets were priced much cheaper than what I was charged! Me and my husband reached back home analyzing what might have caused the allergy, finding no answers anyways!

I was on medication for two whole days, but the pain would start in the evenings, and was as bad as before medication. On Monday, unable to put up with the pain, I went to the nursing home again after 6. There was a big queue of patients waiting. Losing my patience to the pain, and losing the trust on the medicines Mr. Kakde had prescribed, we went to meet another ENT doctor near by. The experienced doctor examined me for two minutes, smiled at me and said, “This is not an ENT problem dear, you should be meeting a dentist, because your wisdom tooth is growing and that is giving you all the trouble and pain”. I was too shocked to believe what I heard from her! That means I have been treating my throat for a non-existent allergy, and did nothing about the real cause of the life-taking pain!!! I thanked the doctor and came out; taken aback at the treatment I was given at Kakde nursing home. Then I realized, in the name of an ENT specialist, it was a general physician who treated me and that too with an absolutely wrong diagnosis! This is a caution to all the public out there, not to get carried away by the thought of relieving the pain, and ending up in wrong hands, like I did! When we look for an ENT doctor, we do expect to be treated by an ENT doctor, and not be a learning experience for a junior doctor! A doctor is seen next to God, and doctors are supposed to maintain the divinity of the profession. After all, it is not just money and medicine, but it is life and death in the hands of a doctor!