Samuel A Kojoglanian, MD, FACC, FSCAI

Ever get a call that you didn’t expect? It was Sunday morning and I was on my way to speak in a church when my paging service called, and my patient asked for help. A year ago I had placed stents in his 99% blocked heart arteries and given him a healing that he would never forget, so I thought. He was supposed to take his medications as if his life depended on it; in fact, it did depend on it.

My patient had run out of his medications on Thursday and called the office. I had samples ready for him on the same day, but he did not show up. Come Sunday my patient had chest pains that reminded him of his actions or the lack thereof.

I turned the car around, hoping I wouldn’t be late for my talk, and told my patient to meet me in the office. He looked well, and I didn’t have to tell him he was irresponsible; his eyes and face revealed it. I instructed him to take the medication and head towards the ER. He said, “But Dr. Sam, is it ok if I just take the medication and not go?” I smiled in disbelieve and stated, “What I said is what I said.”

My patient checked out well, and I also got to give my speech. Happy day, move, heal, give, and rock your planet, all by God’s grace. That day I thought about responsibility. It is mine. It is yours. It is my patient’s. Otherwise, we are dealing with negligence.

Responsibility is on time, on target, on fire. It is disciplined, caring, courteous, compassionate, places others first. It is slow to speak, slow to become angry and quick to listen. Negligence is on a delay mode, procrastinating, denying, haphazard, and lukewarm. It is undisciplined, uncaring, discourteous, in the left field and uncommitted. It is quick to point fingers, playing the judge, the psychologist, and is a naysayer.

On a larger scale, socialism is a form of negilgence, taking responsibility out of the hands of the people, teaching them that they can’t take their pills on their own, encouraging them to be mindless, void of dreams, desires and destiny. Its song sings, “You got no say, take your pills I give to you today.”

My plea? Take your pills on your own, be responsible, and in the years to come, make sure any action, talk or “change” is authentic action that takes responsibility.