How far would you go to console someone - someone who has been through so much within a short span of time?
How do console someone who has recently lost his/her loved ones - from sudden deaths, cruel twists of fate?
How do you console someone, who was once so spirited, independant and HAD a life he/she was proud of - now being confined to the bed or chair....immobile, helpless?
How do you console someone who cries himself/herself to sleep every night, because of the emotional burden he/she bore?
I cannot.
I, for one, am never married, have never been in a blissful marriage which lasted for over 40 years....and so can never truly understand how it feels like to lose a loving husband, a doting father, a wonderful grandfather.
I, for one, am overall blessed with good health, and so I cannot fully comprehend what it is like to frequent hospitals for the last 10 years, to endure a battery of tests (some being more invasive than the others)....and still haven't a clue of what was going on.
I, for one, am still blessed - with a happy family, wonderful friends and a supportive social network. I don't know how it is like to come from a broken, abusive home, with no one to turn to when things seem dire.
So don't make me reassure the people I've met.... that things will turn out for the better. Allowing patients to see a glimmer of hope is one thing, but giving false assurance is another.
I will listen to them, should they confide in me - their stories, frustrations, their woes. If letting all out helps; makes them feel better...then I am more than happy to be there for them; to listen with an open heart and mind. Just don't make me say that time will heal all wounds. A portion may take longer to heal, but some just don't.
Don't make me do something which I feel might do more harm than good.
Labels: Medicine/Hospitals/Medics, Random thoughts
