Doctor hangs up boots
Life, death and poisoned All Blacks. Mike Bowen has seen it all, writes Ruby Nyika.
He treated Olympians and was on tour with the All Blacks for their notorious 1995 World Cup final against South Africa.
But it’s the 1400 births of ordinary people that stand out for Mike Bowen – that and the four generations of two families that stuck with him in his 44 years at Glenview Medical Centre.
The 73-year-old GP has retired his stethoscope and counted his accomplishments, not least the countless patients he helped ease into death.
Bowen joined Glenview Medical after moving to New Zealand from England with his wife and two children. He was 29.
In his four decades on the job, he’s witnessed major change.
More antidepressants are prescribed, more symptoms are googled and more people are resistant to antibiotics.
‘‘We were overusing antibiotics for a long, long time.
‘‘The agricultural sector have used a lot of antibiotics to keep the animals so-called healthy. Some of those antibiotics are also transferred through milk to individuals.’’
And this microdosing could lead to scary issues in the next couple of decades, Bowen said.
But overall, people are healthier.
While he used to treat between
40 and 50 patients every day, now it’s between 22 and 24.
Paperwork and ticking boxes take up a lot more time these days.
‘‘Some of it is important, but there’s an awful lot of stuff we do which actually doesn’t help the patient. But we have to do it.’’
Working with the All Blacks was a career highlight, Bowen said, but it also brought the most testing moment of his career.
Two days before the 1995 World Cup final in South Africa, 27 out of the 35-strong touring party fell violently sick.
Bowen – the sole doctor – frantically dosed up the players with fluids and a variety of injections to stem the vomiting.
‘‘That was what I call the poisoning episode.
‘‘It seemed highly unusual that you get such a large number of a touring team sick.’’
He pored over what the players had eaten, but there was no clear pattern.
Something could have been slipped into their drinks, Bowen said, but there’s no way of knowing.
‘‘None of them were a hundred per cent when they played.
‘‘But there wasn’t a lot you could do.’’
Andrew Mehrtens and Jeff Wilson were still vomiting on the day of the match.
‘‘Jeff Wilson actually vomited on the pitch and had to come off.’’
One of his most treasured moments was delivering a mum’s 15th baby.
‘‘I’d delivered her last five babies and for her 15th child, she had 13 of the children with her. And they were the most beautiful children.
‘‘It was like royalty. ‘‘They were beautifully behaved.
‘‘I’ll never forget, the moment I was delivering the baby, as the baby’s head was crowning, this lovely waiata broke out, welcoming the baby into the world. It was just tingly.
‘‘The greatest privilege is bringing people into the world and the other is helping people towards the end of their life.
‘‘That last bit – which is often quite difficult – doctors can be hugely helpful and influential in terms of making the final parting easier.’’
While the latter can be harrowing, modern medicine has helped.
‘‘You can minimise distress – not completely, but it’s a lot better.’’
But Bowen has dealt with less birth and death in recent years.
Now, midwives deliver babies and palliative care is often managed by Hospice, since it began in 1986.
‘‘We used to be hospice before Hospice came along.
‘‘I’d go visit patients, occasionally two or three times a day, because Hospice just didn’t exist.’’
After decades dedicating his time to others, free time seems a bit of a luxury for Bowen.
He plans to spend more time with his three kids and nine grandchildren, ski more, cycle around the South Island and go to Europe with his wife.
Over the last couple of weeks, letters have poured in from patients he has treated for 20, 30, even all 44 years.
‘‘To me, that is more important than being the All Black doctor.
‘‘My time hasn’t being wasted.’’
‘‘I’ll never forget, the moment I was delivering the baby, as the baby’s head was crowning, this lovely waiata broke out, welcoming the baby into the world. It was just tingly.
Mike Bowen