“Each moment needs to count. Every instant is one that I can use to better my quality of life and to fulfill my purpose. How am I spending that currency?”
-K.A. Wypych
This is one of my most favorite pieces I’ve ever written because it draws from my extensive medical background as well as my spiritual side.
Make It Count
“I’m taught lessons frequently in my job, by my coworkers and my patients. I’m referring to life lessons, not lessons about medical care. Perspective-changing lessons. I am consistently amazed how easy it is in our world to lose focus on what’s important and to create and sustain falsehoods in our lives. So unbelievably easy. Over the course of my career, with a large percentage spent in oncology, I’ve come to appreciate the fragility of life. I watched people face their own mortality, and that changed how I view my own life. At least for a period of time. The daily grind has a way of reloading personal blinders, propelling me through the busyness of my day.
Today, I was reminded of my humanity again, and, for some reason, it struck more deeply and in a more jarring way this time. I sat with a patient, Cynthia, who had undergone neck surgery earlier in the afternoon. I checked on her to see how she was feeling postoperatively. I’m not sure if it was the anesthesia, a genuine level of openness, or my ability to gain people’s trust, but she divulged a large amount of information after I asked her how she was feeling. When she started to speak, I sensed that she needed to talk and that I needed to listen. I sat down on a footstool and gave her my full attention.”
Full Article
Please click the link below for full article:
Make It Count, K.A. Wypych, Journal of the American Academy of PAs: April 2018 – Volume 31 – Issue 4 – p 1
