It was during my first year in practice that i came upon a patient at a Nursing Home who was laughing about as hard as one can laugh. Not that often to find a Nursing Home patient that happy, so i asked him "what happened?" He handed me his morning paper and said, "my former doctor died."
Now - this did not strike me as extemely humorous, but, trying not to be judgemental, i asked him "what happened?" He could see that i was a little taken aback, "sit down doc."
"Three years ago when they diagnosed me as having cancer, these two docs said i had less than 6 months to live. One died last year and the other one just died. They were so certain that i was going to die soon, and i outlived them both."
And i learned a lesson in that moment. We use science for what it can do, swe practice medicine as best we can, but we never really know who is to live and who is to die. There is a higher power.
I have tried to keep this in mind over the years. I have never shirked telling patients as humbly as i could, that modern medicine could not cure them, but i have tended to add that there is a higher power, and that i would pray for them. Most often what they have responded is "i will pray for you too doc."
People seem to respond better to honesty, when it is laced with some humility, and i can never get over the willingness of patients facing terrible illnesses, to have the compassion to pray for others, their family, their friends, their caregivers, and sometimes their doctors.
We are a nation that has placed a man on the moon, and made incredible scientific advances, and yet, from the episode of the Challenger to the Levees of New Orleans, we are reminded again and again that we have limits.
In point of fact, the one area where we may perceive ourselves as most limited, but where we may barely touch our own potential is the "Spiritual" area, the capacity to connect to the Life Force that runs through us all, and to connect with all living things.
We can at the least put aside our own worry if only for the moment, forego our anger just for today.
I will need to grateful for what i have, and for the energy that i have and commit to work as best as i can today. Hopefully - i can find someone to gift with a little bit of kindness - just for today.
Now - this did not strike me as extemely humorous, but, trying not to be judgemental, i asked him "what happened?" He could see that i was a little taken aback, "sit down doc."
"Three years ago when they diagnosed me as having cancer, these two docs said i had less than 6 months to live. One died last year and the other one just died. They were so certain that i was going to die soon, and i outlived them both."
And i learned a lesson in that moment. We use science for what it can do, swe practice medicine as best we can, but we never really know who is to live and who is to die. There is a higher power.
I have tried to keep this in mind over the years. I have never shirked telling patients as humbly as i could, that modern medicine could not cure them, but i have tended to add that there is a higher power, and that i would pray for them. Most often what they have responded is "i will pray for you too doc."
People seem to respond better to honesty, when it is laced with some humility, and i can never get over the willingness of patients facing terrible illnesses, to have the compassion to pray for others, their family, their friends, their caregivers, and sometimes their doctors.
We are a nation that has placed a man on the moon, and made incredible scientific advances, and yet, from the episode of the Challenger to the Levees of New Orleans, we are reminded again and again that we have limits.
In point of fact, the one area where we may perceive ourselves as most limited, but where we may barely touch our own potential is the "Spiritual" area, the capacity to connect to the Life Force that runs through us all, and to connect with all living things.
We can at the least put aside our own worry if only for the moment, forego our anger just for today.
I will need to grateful for what i have, and for the energy that i have and commit to work as best as i can today. Hopefully - i can find someone to gift with a little bit of kindness - just for today.
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