Summary

There has been a noticeable loss of paternalism among medical practitioners. Part of that loss is due to changes in societal mores but part is due to the vanishing of bedside manner. Eula experienced distrust in the anesthesiologist assigned to her son’s surgery for the removal of his adenoids. He was cold and distant and didn’t want Eula to stay with her son while was being put under. Her son recovered well but it would be a long time before Eula would forget the treatment she received from one of his doctors; it was totally lacking in paternalism.

Eula was interested in a blood cord bank for her infant son. Storing the cord could be helpful for the baby later in life if he developed certain diseases. She read about the process in an article by Robert Sears who wrote The...