My Ordinary

Truth be told…I am not that sad to see 2015 go.  It was a stretching and somewhat uncomfortable year, although maybe down the road I will understand the value of it.

My last patient of the year pretty much sums up how I feel.  I was reviewing labs just before planning to leave the clinic to drive home to be with my family for New Years.  A stat lab result came in for a patient, 41 years old, a mother of two, had gone for U/S, mammogram, and ultimately a biopsy due to a suspicious breast mass.  Unfortunately, the results of these tests very much pointed to the fact that what was seen is likely malignant, and has likely spread to the lymph nodes…which is not a good prognosis.  Gratefully she was able to come to the clinic directly to review this.  We spent the next hour going over the results in fine detail as the tears flowed freely.  I am usually able to keep something of a professional composure in these circumstances, but this is the closest that I’ve come to breaking that.  Realizing that she will likely be in store for the full meal deal of surgery, chemo, radiation with a questionable prognosis.  My heart broke again for the millionth time this year.

Gratefully, I was able to drive right home to family and a little nephew who has this magical power to take me right out of myself.

I spent most of the morning teaching Clark to blow bubbles in his milk,  playing at the farm, and spending time in Waterton – my sanctuary.   With big plans, and being excited for the New Year, I look forward to 2016.