stories

there are so many stories that come up at work. i wish that i knew all my patient's stories, but it just isn't practical. i love the days when things are a little less hectic and i can just sit back and chat.....find out what is important to them...what makes them happy...anxious...their support system....how they met their spouse.

last week i spoke with a patient for about 20 minutes about the real estate business. what do i know about real estate? i guess i should learn a lot though. he thinks everyone should have a second career "in their back pocket". it sounds like his is a lucrative one!

so today i spent time talking to an elderly gentleman that is having difficulty with his treatment. without giving details, he has an advanced cancer and is on his last chemotherapy option. i had noticed a german accent and his name. i inquired about when he came to the states. to shorten things up a little bit, he came over as an orphan in 1946. he was in multiple concentration camps and lost his parents and seven siblings. his wife pulled up his sleeve and showed me the number tattooed on his arm. it was just an incredible interaction---the fact that he would share that with me. it transitioned into a conversation about the unpredictability of life.

this reminded me of a patient i met in michigan as a tech. the woman was from germany and was a little girl during the war. she told me about her parents hiding jews during wwII.

the depth, courage, and determination of people amazes me.