Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title.”
I saw a consult the other day, an older gentleman with a new cancer requiring complex evaluation and extended care. Scary, hard stuff, but with the possibility of remission or cure; it is the kind of case oncologists relish as we get to use knowledge, a pile of technology, and have the opportunity to make a difference.
After reading his file, taking a history, and doing a thorough exam, I sat down with this patient and his adult son. We reviewed his case in detail: cause, effect, stage, treatment, alternatives, side effects and prognosis. While the father was not sophisticated and was somewhat withdrawn, his son was very bright and had done his Internet homework. Much of the conversation was spent responding to the son’s questions; an in-depth discussion and consultation.
There was just one hiccup. One peculiarity. Any observer would have taken note and been surprised. Though his son has no medical background, though he is 20 or more years younger than I, though we had never met, during the entire consultation he called me “James.”
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