The past week was full of both good and bad surprises. Overall, it was a rough week; however, I was blessed to have a close friend of mine who I have not seen in over 3 years (since I was forced to move) visit. We had a great time together and I was reminded that there are some genuinely kind people in the world.
See, my friend and I grew up together. She is aware of practically all of my health problems. She is good at making sure I am ok, yet not smothering me.
My knee condition progressed this week to burstitis. Thankfully, through rest and icing it has been slowly improving; however, it's made for a painful week and a half. And of course it had to happen when my friend was visiting. Nevertheless, we still had a good time together.
One of the last few days she was here we went to a local place to pick up some falafels for dinner. While we were standing in line, I had to ask a couple of it was ok if I momentarily sat at their picnic table because of my condition. The lady behind us spoke up and told me to please stay at the bench and rest until it was our turn at the counter; she didn't mind holding my spot. While we waited the three of us had a nice conversation and the lady praised me for being so strong at such a young age. It was definitely new for me to hear. And it made me seriously think that that is what our world is missing; kindness, compassion, and understanding such as this. A few words can make a real difference in someone else's life. This is what is desperately needed in the health care industry. Throughout my years going to the hospital as a patient, there are a few nurses and other providers who have truly shown great care and compassion. Unfortunately, I have also had quite a lot of negative experiences as well.
I believe we need to remember to keep this in mind when we are treating our patients; because it can be easy to become numb to the madness of the world.
