Scary Neuro-Surgeons!

For as long as I can remember I've been obsessed with the workings of the human body (hence my career choice) and my favourite bit of anatomy has to be the brain! When I was training as a physio I loved anything to do with the brain and nervous system, and when I got the chance to do my final year elective placement with one of the UK's leading neuro-physio's I jumped at it.  My first job was at Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust - AKA Hope Hospital, the Neuro-surgical Centre of excellence for the North West of England and I purposefully selected my junior rotation posts so as to make the most of being in the presence of neuro experts so I could learn from them.  From the very beginning Neuro-rehab was a big part of what I did.  When I started working at the Christie Cancer Treatment Centre, I was able to tie my two passions together when I took up the post of Senior Neuro-oncology physio, a job that I loved every single second of.
Despite my love of everything 'brain-ey', I did find the neuro-surgical wards a scary place to be.  Of all the patients in the hospital, these were some of the most critically ill I would ever come across.  I learnt very quickly that the line between life and death is a very fine one. I also learnt that the phrase 'a fate worse than death' has real truth in it, when I think of some of the patients I have treated who have had massive brain injuries and have been left severely disabled and debilitated but alive.  I can remember the tangible fear of the junior doctors on the wards at rounds time as they waited for the Consultant Neuro-surgeon to arrive.  As a junior physio I remember being made to feel completely inadequate when discussing patients with neuro-surgical nurses who had years of experience in the field and probably could treat the chest of an acutely ill patient far better than I could.  If it was my night to be 'on call', I would actually pray that neuro-surgery wouldn't call me,  and if in the middle of the night the pager would bleep (before mobile phones!) and I'd see their extension number I'd almost get sick to my stomach.  I felt that neuro-surgeons where scary, egocentric genius's with a very definite God complex, but I've always been intrigued by them and I suppose in awe of them,and in 2007, when a neuro-surgeon saved my mothers life, that particular surgeon got elevated to 'Legend' status!  So when I recently came across Consultant Neuro-surgeon Mr Henry Marsh's book 'Do No Harm', I had to read it.  And I am so glad I did. It gives a fascinating insight not just into the world of neuro-surgery, it also reveals the humanity behind that 'scary' façade  - a humanity which enables them to perform what must arguably be the most difficult and risky surgical procedures for the good of their patients.  They have to have the God complex, they have to believe that they are the best because if they make a mistake someone dies or worse can suffer a 'fate worse than death'.  Please God, I never have to go under the knife of a neuro-surgeon, but if I did I want him or her to be the scariest, most egoncentric genius I have ever met.  I'd highly recommend the book!