August 2009 Archives
There are many things that bind healthcare workers and their patients together. We both share a common humanity. We all have the need for good health and we all need to take care of ourselves. I try to emphasize this to my patients, my colleagues, nurses and other employees in my practice.
Taking care of oneself is a very personal notion. Each person would have a different definition of what “taking care of” means. Some cancer patients would say it’s taking a nap to fight the fatigue of chemotherapy or spending extra time with loved ones in order to feel more connected. Some patients would say it’s taking a vacation to a place that they have always longed see. For healthcare providers, many of the same things would be also true. Taking a vacation, taking an opportunity to rest, and taking time to exercise are all things that might important. For me, “taking care of me” means mostly being with family, spending time with my children and being part of their lives. It also means exercising. Rarely do I feel better than just after exercising hard on the treadmill.
I think another thing that the patients and healthcare providers can do to take care of themselves is to set realistic goals. Understanding that regardless of their situation in life that one can make goals in order to make their lives better is so important. I have a young, single mother who was treated in the past for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Prior to her treatment, she was employed in a challenging job. She was able to take care of her children and keep all of the” many balls that she juggled in the air at the same time”. Then her diagnosis and subsequent treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy cut much of her energy. Much of her ability to keep those many juggling balls in the air is now gone. We had a long discussion recently about her not being the same as what she was before her treatment. I stressed to her that she may not be able to be the same as she was before her diagnosis but she is now something even more remarkable. She is now cancer survivor. Unfortunately, the likelihood is that her body, her energy level and her memory will never be the same as before her diagnosis and treatment. She may never get back to the point where she can return to her previous job. She still can take pride in reaching new goals. She still can strive to be the best mother for her children and set some new goals that may in fact lead her to somewhere that she cannot yet imagine. In other words, she needs to take care of herself. She needs to understand that her diagnosis of cancer has likely changed her permanently. Accepting this and at the same time moving on from the grief and disappointment is vital.
One of the wonderful things that inspires me and makes me love my job as much as I do is seeing patients adapt and overcoming their diseases. Many find unique ways of taking care of themselves that ultimately inspire me to take care of myself.
