School: Haverford

The first patient I saw passed away one week after I got to know him. I knew his name, his background on paper, and that he liked philosophy. That’s currently all I know, and probably all I ever will know about him. I wasn’t expecting much for my second patient. The first time I met … Continue reading “Take Two”

I use the pseudonyms for my patient (Yvette Thomas). My most meaningful hospice patient experience was my experience with Yvette Thomas. When I was given a preview about Yvette Thomas it was mentioned that she loved patient encounters. Every time I came in Yvette would smile and say, “oh yes”. I would color in cats … Continue reading “The Reality of Change”

We don’t often acknowledge this idea, but opposites give one another meaning. They serve as reference points for one another, and we can only perceive one in the context of a life where the other exists. For example, the happy moments we experience can only be valuable to us once we know of sadness (and … Continue reading “Life and Death: Necessary Opposites”

“I don’t think I’m ready for this,” I told myself while driving to Green Meadow nursing facility on my first day of volunteering with Holisticare. As my friends and I stepped into the facility and went through the routine of check-in and sanitization, I gathered all the courage to get ready to meet my first … Continue reading “First Day”

The story of my relationship with Agnes does not unravel as a movie plot with shocking turns, plentiful clichés and joyous moments of great splendor. It was not a difficult connection but one that did require work, as there were times when I was unsure of what to say or whether my time spent with … Continue reading “Colliding Worlds: A Connection 77 Years Apart”

Participation in the hospice program has completely changed my perspective on life. A life fully lived is one to celebrate, but the ending of a life is often painful. I will forever cherish being a part of my hospice patient’s life at such a critical point. Around two years ago, my own mother was in … Continue reading “Hospice: A Program With An Impact for All”

Whenever I walk into Mary’s room, a blue notebook sits behind the armchair on the wall heater by the window. At the end of each visit, I pick up that notebook and describe the moments that I had with Mary for the past hour. I describe how Mary was feeling that day, whether she was … Continue reading “Intentionality and Awareness”

The first time I walked into Carol’s room, I had no idea what to expect, I was filled with nervous fear, not only of meeting someone new, but also of knowing that this person was close to the end of their life. How would I be able to build a connection with someone, knowing that … Continue reading “Training in the Beauty of Death”

With all that has been going on in the world with coronavirus, I have had a lot of time to think about what makes life so meaningful. I have come to the conclusion that one of the most important things in my life is human interaction. The past few weeks, despite feeling like I am … Continue reading “Minimizing Loneliness”

Serving as a hospice volunteer this academic year has been a valuable experience in my development as a future healthcare provider. My experience in the program was atypical in many respects, but it raised my awareness of palliative care in ways that I could not have imagined. My experience was partly atypical because I began … Continue reading “Seeing the Other Side of Palliative Care”