Another woman came to see me with complaints of low back pain and arthritis. I spent a half hour chatting with her. Her husband sat quietly in the corner and didn’t say much of anything until it was almost time to leave the exam room. He piped up and told me that they had both been deeply intrigued by a family rumor that his wife might have Jewish ancestors. Everyone is used to fielding a few ‘by the way doc,’ off-the-wall questions from patients as they are just about to depart the sanctuary of our offices, but this one really took me by surprise. They had heard about a $300 blood test to determine if his wife was Jewish, and they were wondering if I would be kind enough to order this test! After pondering their request thoughtfully for a few moments, I gave them my little caveat emptor speech, and I broke the bad news that there wasn’t a blood test to determine if his wife was Jewish. I pontificated that their $300 might be better spent on a family genealogy project. My long years of training and practice haven’t prepared me for every metaphysical challenge, but I muddle along as best I can.
Dr. Greenbaum is a rheumatologist who practices in Greenwood, Ind.