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Daily
Miracles
In the Life of a Healer |
Better Stay Put
Today, I was having a very bad day at the
office, struggling for hours with the seemingly endless red tape of managed care.
Eventually, I found myself wondering whether I should just quit, go somewhere and work for
free for the homeless, or to another country where my skills and knowledge were greatly
needed.
As these thoughts were going through my
mind, my assistant Miquon came back from lunch, and out of the blue told me: "Doc, I
want you to know that I feel honored to work for you. You are one of the best doctors I
have ever met you care a lot and take time with your patients."
She confided that she had gone to see a
dermatologist for a skin problem. The doctor, she explained, had spent less than two
minutes with her, examining her briefly and quickly handing her a prescription.
There are many times when I feel
discouraged about the practice of medicine and would just like to quit everything, to do
something totally different from medicine, or volunteer in homeless shelter clinics. This
was one of these days.
What made this one different was that after
talking with Miquon, I realized that almost every time I feel negative about practicing
medicine, there seems to be a patient, or someone like Miquon, who lets me know how much
my being a healer has meant to them.
Sometimes, it's getting a "Thank
You" card in the mail for spending extra time with a patient. Sometimes its a family
picture or the picture of a child that I delivered years ago. Or a former patient stopping
by just to say "Hi" because they were in the neighborhood.
Sometimes, it's a small gift, perhaps some
chocolate bought especially for me in another corner of the world, or some homemade
cookies or jam. A Christmas decoration with my name painted on it. Or just simply a
request for a hug from me before they leave the office.
"Thanks," Miquon, I replied.
"I needed that."
Small Miracles Archive
Taking it One Day at a Time
Better Stay Put
Deliver With Mother
The Placebo Effect
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