14 Comments

"It is the unbothered heart that I now fear most of all."

Absolutely beautiful article. So much empathy and love and care for your patients and so wonderfully written.

Expand full comment

Thanks, Libs!

Expand full comment

The pathos you articulate ought to remind each and every one of us (whether we be patient or physician) that we must empathize with patient AND physician AND respect none of us are miracle workers and we do what we can to our best ability.

Expand full comment

Why is it so difficult to hold that truth?

Thanks for reading, Andy.

Expand full comment

Very moving article.

I have a heart condition that "mimics" tricuspid valve disorder. As I was under treatment for adolescent leukemia, during chemotherapy, I had an extremely high fever for a long duration. They said it could have taken me then, but I bounced out of quickly. 5 years post treatment I developed chest pains and discovered I have some scar tissue damage that prevents my tricuspid valve from closing all the way.

Almost thirty years later and no warnings yet as long as keep my heartrate monitored from high exertion... ha-ha, no cross fit trend for this guy!

Anyways, I wanted to share my "heart" that is a part of my cancer journey.

Expand full comment

What a gift. We have so much to learn from survivors like you. Thank you so much for sharing. 💕

Expand full comment

Always a such a fascinating read, and always (it must be said) so full of heart.

Expand full comment

“We could only bear witness to the steep price of surviving.“

Powerful words. Such a beautiful article. We have seen a lot in our collective works as healthcare providers. What helped my inability to be perfect was remembering that I am no to be credited no more for a person’s survival/success than their death/failure when I do my best for each patient. That factor is God’s. Addiction treatment is a completely different kettle of fish, but the just is there. Even the best surgeon can tell you every mistake made of a procedure he or she did. Thanks for reminding me that we are human.

Expand full comment

And I will spell check next time. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Expand full comment

Excellent writing.

Expand full comment

Thank you, Lucia.

Expand full comment

Awesome! We need more of these conferences to enter the mainstream conversation! Every entry point helps!

Expand full comment