All good thing must come to an end, and so it is that I’m shortly to board a ferry home after what has been a lovely week away in France. We got lucky with the weather, hot but not too hot, and it was all rather restful. We stayed at an Airbnb in the Dordogne, had our fill of croissant, although I couldn’t bring myself to partake of the local specialty fois gras, no matter how good I expect it tasted. The house we stayed at was run by a French couple in their late 30s, Alex and Marie-Claire. They also had a house on the land, and tended to a large array of crops there.
Alex was obviously very handy, as had renovated the few-hundred year old barns himself, put in a swimming pool, and installed an outside bbq and kitchen (which got a lot of use!) It came as somewhat of a surprise therefore when they approached me one day and after the customary good mornings asked me if I was a doctor, the clue I’m sure being in my email address!). It turns out that both Alex and Marie-Claire are trained nurses, Marie-Claire on ITU, and Alex in, would you believe, Cardiology! They had worked in Paris and Grenoble, until last year, when on the verge of burnout, decided to sell their lives near the Alps, and move to the Dordogne for a simple, country life.
I know nothing of the French health system, but sadly hearing from them both there was a certain familiarity. They had known nothing but nursing, yet were feeling so burdened by the stress of the job, in particular the politics (as opposed to direct patient care) that they felt compelled to give it all up for fear of a mental health breakdown. Apparently a significant percentage of newly trained recruits feel similarly in France, and do not remain nurses for long.
Watching them share a pot of coffee in the sunshine, having picked up their fresh morning boulangerie, before tending to their land, I couldn’t help but think they have made a good choice. I’m not suggesting for a second that I’m about to hang up my stethoscope and buy an allotment, but it certainly makes you think. Many of us toil away for a lifetime in jobs that if we were really honest with ourselves are not what we would have chosen, I know a number of my non-medic friends think that. I also know nearly all (no exaggeration) of my friends who are consultants in the NHS, have either had time off for burnout, or have been close to it. I’m certain I have too. This is something not often enough talked about, and I expect not appreciated by the general public. I’m very fortunate to enjoy consulting with patients, and see it as a privilege to be able to help them, whether that is in a clinic, an operating theatre, or even via the content in my blogs, videos and website. If only there were a realistic way of reducing the admin, lessening the politics, and spending more time directly involved with patient care? Answers on a postcard please! For now though, a week of great food, great wine, and fun and games with my family has had a wonderfully restorative effect.
I have eaten a lot of delicious cheese this week, of many different kinds. I quite often get asked by my patients whether cheese is healthy or not, particularly if patients have a heart condition or high cholesterol. For many years, the narrative has been that it is high in saturated fat and therefore bad full you, end of story. I disagree. Evidence now suggests that the fat found in whole food cheese (as opposed to processed) can actually be good for you, and does not raise cholesterol as you might think. In addition, raw, fermented, unpasteurised or aged cheese is teeming with good microbes, which are great for your gut microbiome, Again, this is not the case with long-shelf life processed cheeses. When left to come to room temperature (which did not take long where I’ve just been!) the microbe count accelerates (you can smell this!). Try eating good quality cheese with a whole food source of fibre, and your microbiome will thank you for it.