I'm back to Cusco after a weekend in Machu Picchu with one of my best friends, Julia. I added some pictures to the blog prior to this post. This post isn't about my weekend though, spectacular as it was. Julia and I had a blast at one of the wonders of the world. This post is about a patient that we all met during our first day at the clinic. He was in a coma and had a tracheotomy tube. He had been in an accident and had been transferred to the clinic from one of the regional hospitals when his family couldn't pay anymore. Erick and I grew attached to this particular patient because we rotated with the Chilean doctor first, and this particular patient was being cared for by the Chilean doctor. Every day, Erick and I would look in on him and see how he was doing. We would try to get him to open his eyes and respond to our voices. He seemed to be improving daily and had even been started on physical therapy. Sadly, he passed away this weekend.
I was compelled to write this post because when we found out about his passing, Erick and I were filled with a profound sadness. This was a man we had never actually spoken to. Our interactions were brief and one-sided. Yet, his death has left a mark in our lives. We had hoped he would improve. The clinic had patients in the past that had made miraculous comebacks from similar conditions. Yet, his body finally gave out and his spirit went to a better place. I've been trying to analyze why it is that I feel so sad. I think perhaps it is because this patient was by all accounts our first patient. We knew his history, his story, and his ailments. He didn't need to talk to us because he communicated plenty without uttering a single word. Wherever he is now, I hope he is finally at peace.
R.I.P. Senor V.
From my favorite poet...
Ah,
when to the heart of man
Was
it ever less than a treason
To
go with the drift of things,
To
yield with a grace to reason,
And
bow and accept the end
Of
a love or a season?
Robert
Frost
No comments:
Post a Comment