Monday, January 21, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Personal growth and insperation!
Today’s side though!
I’m
sitting here pondering all that I have experienced over the year in both my
personal and career life. I have considered all that has occurred and is occurring
and concluded that although I have experienced many trials and tribulations. Nothing
has prepared me for this phase of my life. As a med student I am constantly researching,
memorizing various elements of the human body and the conditions in which the
human body is affected. I spend countless hours studying facts, theory’s,
treatments. And have now resorted to sleeping with my medical books, laptop,
ipad, and cell phone. I have sacrificed
my sleep, social life, and personal time, all in the name of medicine. I guess
the question remains, why do physicians, nurses, bio tech, radiologist, and more
sacrifice themselves, pushing them self to the breaking point in order to heal
anther? What is it that drives a person into the medical field?
I suppose
each of us has our own reasoning as to why we choose to live and thrive within
the medical field. I for one started my journey with wanting nothing more than
to understand the condition that threatens a human body. I was and am fascinated
by the human body. It is the most perfect machine ever built. And just like
other machines, the human body had its defects as well. My thirst, drive, and
need to understand the human body had absolutely nothing to do with the
individual. It was about the condition that affects the body. However, and with
two years remaining. My opinion has since changed. I can pin point the exact
moment in time when my ill sought opinion had shifted. Although, I have had
several patients that where terminally ill, my opinion did not change until I
had my first oncology/palliative care patient.
I was assigned to a patient whom was suffering
from MBC/Lymphoma and was roughly 10 years younger than I. That evening after
being assigned to her, I entered her room with that “standard” meet and great,
make the patient feel important, mentality. An hour and a half had passed and I
had quietly left her room, exited the building, and headed straight to my vehicle
park off in the distant parking lot. After leaving the parking lot, I found
myself crying the entire way home. Until
this day, I cannot tell you exactly what it was about her and or what occurred during
our first encounter that had moved me so much. But over the course of week(s)
and right up to the time of her passing (six weeks totaling), I can honestly
say that I have learned more about the human spirit than any text book,
lecture, professor, attending, and or anyone for that matter, from this single
patient. She was my eye opener.
Today, when asked why the medical
field and why oncology. My answer is always the same. I am blessed to be the
student of what the true meaning of the human spirit and its will to survive.
Those that I come into contact with (patients) have such a profound wisdom regarding
life and the meaning of life that it is something to marvel and envy.
Regardless of their age, I have found all of my patients to have same in-depth
wisdom. I am not sure why or how one finds such wisdom. Perhaps this insight stems from the very real
reality of their destiny. Unlike the mainstream population, the individuals
(patients) I am in contact with. Do not have the rose color glasses. They see
themselves and the world in which they reside in as is rather then what will
be. I would like to believe that it is because many of them have already found
their peace spiritually, mentally, and physically (if there is such a thing).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)