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by Dani Deaver, class of 2011
Life
During every clinical rotation, I have strived to make a difference in
as many patients’ lives as I possibly can. I have treated each patient as they were my own family and
applied the best of my knowledge to help them recover, understand their
condition or just feel better. I
have always gone out of my way to make each patient know they are
important. I have gained the
knowledge that in order to make this difference I need to take the time to
listen to the patient, address their concerns and answer all of their
questions. As I have treated
patients they have affected me as much as I have affected them. Throughout the duration of my
rotations, several patients have touched my life in a special way. Several patients have shown me just how
much life is worth and not to take any second you have been given for
granted.
Most of the patients that have made a difference in my life have been
those with terminal conditions for which there is no cure. These particular patients have an
entire new outlook on life. The
patients with these conditions always have a positive attitude. No matter what the condition, they
understood that their lifetime would be cut short and come to an end at a sooner
time than everyone else around them.
Although all these patients have affected me in certain way, one that I encountered on my surgery rotation particularly stands out in my mind.
As I walked in the room, she was beaming. Surrounded by her two very best friends, who accompanied her
to her appointment for support, the 67 year-old woman was here for her
pre-operative physical for her explorative thoracoscopy. She has been informed at a previous
appointment that there was an extremely high possibility that she had
pancreatic cancer that had now quite possibly spread to her lungs. She had a malignant pleural effusion
that was causing shortness of breath which was why she had made an appointment
in the first place. There was
little hope in her case and she understood that. She greeted me as I entered the room with a radiant and
witty personality. She never lost
her beautiful smile as she talked with me and answered my questions. She and her friends joked and laughed
throughout her physical exam, teasing her about her old age and including me in
all the fun. She poked jokes about
herself and the cancer but always remained positive. I explained the procedure and had her fill out the necessary
paperwork. I asked her if she had
any questions and this is what she said, “I am without any questions young lady
but I want you to know life is short.
Take nothing for granted. I
am thankful for all the wonderful time I have spent with family and
friends. I have no regrets. I am
also aware that I don’t have much time no matter what this surgery shows
tomorrow. Live life to the fullest
because you’ll never know when it can be taken from you.”
After she was finished I smiled and politely guided her out the
door. She said good-bye and left
the office smiling with her two best friends. As she left I did my best to hold back the tears and emotion
I was feeling. She had most
definitely had made a difference in my life. I took some time to myself after this experience and
completely understood what she had said to me. To this day, I will never forget the impact she has made on
me and take nothing for granted. I
have also understood that my patients can make just as big of a difference on
me as I do on them. | 