An amazing, simple act of medicine
I witnessed an amazing act of medicine this week. I did not observe a successful transplant, bypass or trauma surgery. A dreamy soap opera doctor did not make a last-second diagnosis to save a child, although all of these things do occur in real life and are amazing. The act I witnessed was much simpler.
I work in health care and admit that I have become jaded with paperwork and dealing with insurance companies. Maybe this is why I was so impressed to see this doctor at work.
My grandmother was placed on hospice and passed away surrounded by her children, grandchildren and caregivers this week. The day she died, her doctor and neighbor stopped to check on her. He had been doing this for weeks, perhaps months, as she became more ill. He would come in twice daily and listen with his stethoscope, suggesting the next step in her care, and was even available by phone while out of state at a medical conference.
On my grandmother’s last day, the doctor stepped into the room with a stethoscope and listened to her chest, offering a rough prognosis. The doctor explained in simple enough terms what would happen and helped us to prepare. He was very human and very much part of our family. He assured us that she was not in discomfort.
My grandmother’s doctor did not wield a scalpel or order life-saving treatment but did exactly what our family needed at that time. In an era when the house call is almost extinct and diagnosis codes and co-pays prevail, it was refreshing to witness such a display of caring and compassion, reminding us all what medicine is about.
Nathan Romesburg
Washington