Prognosis..

“Do you want me to tell you about the prognosis of this disease though I am certain that you would be aware as you have consulted other doctors too?” the doctor asked.

I nodded and she pronounced her prophecy. A sort of déjà vu but the speaker was different this time.

Strange as it sounds but sometimes the circumstances become the reason for a few new words in your vocabulary warehouse. The current inimical situation due to the pandemic caused by covid19 has led to words like ‘Quarantine’, ‘Symptomatic/Asymptomatic’ and ‘Lockdown’ soar the popularity charts and have even filled the arsenal of those who barely had any remote connect with the language.

For the unversed, there is a distinction between diagnosis and prognosis in relation to medical science; the former refers to a fact that is identified based on examination and the latter is a prediction that is based on experience. I understood this difference long back when I found myself to be a recipient to such terms due to the circumstances involved at that time. The experience also taught me the contrast between certainty and augury; god and god-like, almighty and humans that are termed to be like supreme power due to their noble profession.

Back then, I also realized the immense power of the four letter word: Hope. Much contrary to the trivial usage of it, it carries with itself a magical potion, a potion that gives you the strength to stand tall and face any challenge. Furthermore, hope does not come alone as it brings faith along; faith in anything, animate or inanimate. The result, the prognosis failed despite the concurrence amongst the authorities; perhaps, because the one for whom the prognosis was done had hope and faith to counter it.

I became a witness that even though hope and faith sound to be too ordinary in language as compared to prognosis, their combined power can change any speculation derived from any prognosis.  And, this is not limited to medical science; it works across all facets of life.

The world is filled with clairvoyants who will claim to have your fate in their hands but pay heed to the one who really matters: You, alone. Don’t drown if a wave hits you, surf it. :)

#LifeLessons #Wisdom #Prognosis