HUMAN SUFFERINGS

I had this patient yesterday who never consulted a physician all her life. She never got sick probably or was self-medicating for whatever illness she had. For 6 months she noticed a mass on her right thigh the size of a pingpong ball. This did not disturbed her  nor gave her something to worry about. So she thought. 3 days ago, the mass suddenly became painful and enlarged to this size almost double the size of her thigh. She was 64 yrs old and thought she could do without a doctor. But yesterday, the pain became so unbearable and she could not walk because of the pain. And she did not have any money despite the fact that she was once the general manager of  a Yamaha School of Music. She started to have fever. She was forced by her husband to seek consultation. When she came to the clinic, I came to realize I was facing an elderly who does not believe in Western Medicine but who obviously need it. The abscess was as large as the picture full of pus. Incision and drainage is necessary pronto. After much convincing and a long wait while they count their money ( in front of the secretary of course), I did the I and D. The abscess contained as much as 1 liter and the smell was as putrid as a 3 days dead cat. I did the procedure in the clinic to save cost. But the whole office smelled for 24 hours. Why would a person suffer if treatment is available? Why does fear rule our lives?