My First Patient

The first patient I saw as an intern was also the last person I cared for as a medical resident, three years later.  I met him on my first workday as a doctor, when I admitted him to our coronary care unit with hours of crushing chest pain.  He recovered without suffering a heart attack, and after discharge he became my clinic patient.  Despite treatment he continued to have prolonged episodes of heavy chest pain at home, and after each clinic visit I wondered if he would live long enough to make it to his next appointment.  After a while I realized that his chest pain was mainly due to esophageal spasm, and he improved with treatment.  

He was a man of few words. I coaxed him to stop smoking cigarettes, and I got to know his daughter, who often accompanied him. I grew to like him. Three years later, on the last night of my residency, he again came to our emergency department with crushing chest pain.  Once more I admitted him to our coronary care unit, this time with a large anterior wall myocardial infarction.  Despite our best efforts he died before morning.

Our work binds us to our patients. Our lives intertwine, sometimes once and other times repeatedly, but usually at pivotal moments. Together with them, we inevitably find meaning in their illness and our role in their treatment.  Sometimes these interpretations of sickness and healing bring our patients peace and increase our professional satisfaction. At other times they are misconstruals that set us and them back.  

In the second section of Healing Purpose we’ll explore the nature of health, the significance of illness, the shadow that the fear of death can cast over us, and the paths that lead to healing.   The Bible’s perspective can re-frame your understanding of the meaning of healthcare work, and increase the fulfillment you get from spending time with the sick – particularly if you apply it to your work by choosing and practicing an exercise at the end of each chapter.