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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsDammit to HELL, this has been a rough week! Another one of my patients died yesterday.
He had a lot of chronic medical problems, but they were all exacerbated by one of the worst chronic problems of all, alcohol abuse. He was a pretty decent guy who really had little hope by the last time I visited with him of getting off the bottle and getting sober. I did what I could for him.
About my patient recently who died from emphysema, I was kicking myself, wondering if I hadn't done enough for her. I had referred her back to her pulmonologist a week or so before she died. My assistant talked on the phone with her husband, and he told her my patient had made an appointment for a consult, but then had cancelled it, and then died two days later. I don't know if by keeping her appointment death could have been staved off a little longer, but I guess we'll never know. The news took the stone off my heart just a little.
Liberal Jesus Freak
(1,451 posts)So sorry But what a good person you are for caring so much. Prayers...vibes...Whatever you need...coming your way
Aristus
(66,388 posts)I work in primary care, so I don't have it nearly as rough as providers in trauma, or oncology, for example. They do this sort of thing on a day-to-day basis. I take my hat off to them. When I lose a patient, I usually hear about it in an message from the hospital.
PasadenaTrudy
(3,998 posts)That's all anyone can do. That bottle is a hard one to kick permanently. Old demon alcohol.
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)denbot
(9,900 posts)You do what you can, but for better or worst the lives you touch will still just flow by you.
LeftishBrit
(41,208 posts)Medical practice must be terribly stressful at times. Having to deal with people's potentially fatal illnesses - of which addictions can certainly be numbered can't be easy. But you are helping lots of people!