Every placement I've been on, I've seen patients whose whole lives have been turned upside down. An expectant mother coming in for a routine scan, excited that after so many years of trying, she's pregnant, only to be told that there's no heartbeat, or that the pregnancy is ectopic. A previously active man who has been told that he'll never walk again. A little girl born with an extremely rare metabolic condition, leaving her physically and mentally disabled for life, and her single mother who has to care for her. A middle-aged woman who constantly has pain in all of her muscles and joints, only to be told that there's no real treatment. A mentally unwell man who spends his whole day hearing voices that constantly insult him, or a lady who believes the world is ending around her, and she is the only one who can save it.
With each instance of hardship I've seen this year, I've also witnessed extraordinary displays of resilience; not letting something like illness break one's resolve. But also incredible are the medical professionals involved in these people's lives day in and day out. Especially the nurses.
Pain suffered by others should prompt me to look introspectively and make me both grateful for a relative lack of misfortune, and question how I would react if something bad was to befall me. You will encounter people and situations that will make life a living hell for you, but you are resilient; you will surprise yourself by how much you can cope. We have been built to endure, so endure for now.
