Anatoliy Shevchenko: “I’m not a hero; I’m just doing my job”.
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008 BUKOVINIAN EYE, Originally published in Ukrainian
It has been over three years since the doctor of higher category, Anatoliy Ivanovich Shevchenko, became the head of the Department of Endoscopy at the Chernivtsi regional hospital. The Department of Endoscopy is complete with three gastric fiberscopy offices, where the stomach and intestine diagnostics take place, and one office of bronchoscopy, where lungs and bronchi are being checked. Anatoliy Ivanovich came into his office as a doctor-bronchologist in December of 1980, right after his internship in Vizhnitsa, and before that, he was studying at Chernivtsi Medical Institute (today Bukovina National Medical University).
Then, young and inexperienced, he was trusted with a very important position, and, as they say: “The ship will sail according to the name it has been given” – that is what happened to bronchologist Shevchenko. Knowledge acquired in the institute was insufficient at the time, so it was necessary to self-educate, spending long nights at libraries while also looking for rare professional literature in bookstores. He had a big need to broaden his knowledge and to find out as much as possible about bronchology.
“If only Internet was available then, as it is now, - the doctor confessed, - there you can find anything, even in the narrow field like I have chosen for myself.” Trips to Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Crimea, Kyiv, Lvov aimed at increasing the level of proficiency were a huge part of this doctor’s life. There are too few bronchologists in Bukovina region, and too much work. And so, Anatoliy Ivanovich to this day almost has no days off. At any time of day or night the doctor is on-call and must arrive to any part of Bukovina in case of emergency. A lot has to be done at the hospital too; there are more patients in winter time, less – in summer, although even during the summer time people can easily get pneumonia or bronchitis. There are a lot of patients that doctor is diagnosing with tuberculosis; many arrive with alien objects inside lungs or bronchi.
-Anatoliy Ivanovich, which illnesses do you diagnose the most?
-In the summer there is a lot of pneumonia, because of the water activities: people drink cold water and swim in it. A lot of times illnesses are being neglected to a tougher stage, so a simple bronchitis may turn into a big trouble.
I feel guilty for pulling the doctor away from his work by asking my questions, but during the interview I got to see various equipment used for scoping lungs and bronchi, special tubes, that help get things out from the breathing paths. There are instances when a doctor can see things that even x-ray cannot show. For example, in front of my eyes, doctor diagnosed a tough case of pneumonia, when x-ray showed a possible tumor.
-Did you have really extreme cases during your practice?
-My work most of the time is quite extreme. Every day I have to fight for a human life, and when you look at a little baby in front of you, responsibility and risk increase. I love children very much and enjoy treating them. Unfortunately, they arrive at my office a lot: instances of alien objects inside the breathing paths in the form of fish bones, beans, peas, or even foam rubber or black pepper seeds.
Once, there was a four year old toddler that had an acaridae crawl inside his lung – it had to be pulled out surgically. One time, a tenth-grader lost a tooth during a dentist visit and breathed it in without knowing it. Next morning she had her body temperature rise, she was coughing, wheezing. On the x-ray – her whole lung got dark. Pretty soon the tooth was located on the x-ray too, but nobody could pull it out, since by that time it was inside the lung. The only way to save the girl was to do the operation. When she was already on the operation table, because of the seriousness of the operation, they summoned me. At first I was afraid, there was a lot to lose – if I failed, the girl would lose half of her lung. It was a tough job, but finally I pulled the tooth out. I was a little surprised, when I did.
There is also so-called professional swallowing, like seamstress may swallow a needle, school students swallow pen caps. Leaders in this sad statistics are walnuts. It looks like Bukovinians like this nut. So, using this opportunity, - the doctor said, - I would like to talk to the parents. Keep your children safe, they will try to swallow anything they can. Sometimes an older child will feed the younger one, but they both are unfit to take care of themselves, so the accident will often happen when there is no proper supervision. Children under 4 should never be in contact with peanuts, sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds, any kind of nuts and other small objects. Make sure that children are not in contact with the seeds of larger fruits, like apples, oranges, plums, etc. My youngest patient was only three months old. He was given an apple by an older brother.
-Does it get scary with such young infants?
-It’s my job. I use anesthesia during the procedures. It is important not to make mistakes, because with children it can cost a life. Although, sadly I have to say that only those who don’t do anything don’t make mistakes. Just recently I had to operate on a pregnant lady during her giving birth. That day we saved both, the child and his mother.
-Anatoliy Ivanovich, you are our Bukovinians hero.
-Oh, no, I am not asking for songs of praise, I am just doing my job like any other worker. My job is only different in a way that I dream - less sick people coming to my office. Unfortunately, our dreams are different from the reality. My dream is that one day, only the healthy people will come into my office for routine diagnostics.
Interview was conducted by Gregory Zaslavets
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