Due to various scheduling issues, I have only been able to meet my patient once, however I still gained a lot from it and believe it has granted me an incredible life lesson regarding the patience, care, and kindness that goes into caring for end-of-life patients. My patient is a cancer patient at Geisinger. She has a daughter and a son-in-law who she lives with who care for her every day. She is sweet, loves animals, coloring, puzzles, and watching tv. She loved the company that my partner and I brought to her, and is eager to see us again. I have learned a lot from Athena in terms of understanding death and coming to terms with the fact that no human is eternal. I have learned that grief is not a linear process, that it can come even before the death of a loved one, and is experienced essentially by all those involved in the care of an end-of-life patient. I hope that as I continue to visit my patient, my openness to and understanding of death will improve, and that I will use this understanding to provide the most comfortable support to my patient and her family during this time.
When I first arrived at the patient’s house, I was a little nervous. However, I remembered some of the strategies that the Athena program equipped us with in starting beneficial conversations with patients. I asked my patient about her life, about her family, about high school, about her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson, I asked her about her pets, what foods she likes to eat, what activities she likes to do. She enjoyed telling me about her life. Her son-in-law was excited for us to be there, and was eager to talk to us as well, which I invited as I could tell she enjoyed having him there, however I was also conscious in ensuring that she was the main focus of the visit and that she was getting the proper amount of attention. I realize that family members likely get lonely too and enjoy the company, which is why I was happy to speak to her son-in-law, but I also wanted to ensure that she felt cared for as much as possible during this time, as we are there primarily for her. I was grateful for this experience as it taught me a lot about balancing the attention of the patient and ensuring that their needs are being met above all else, while being conscious that loved ones are also affected during this time and could use some support as well.
I am very grateful for this program and what it has taught me. Although I could only meet with my patient once, I believe I have learned so much from this experience as a whole, and have been changed by the kindness and strength of my patient. I hope that this experience will stick with me when I am met with similar experiences, either professionally or personally, and will allow me to be the most compassionate, caring, and empathetic version of myself.