Yell

Her face was ashen as she walked into the clinic room. Her movements were slow, and deliberate. She was clearly significantly fatigued. Not the bubbly person I knew her to be 2 weeks ago. Clearly something was amiss. I was walking to see another patient, but my critical eye could not dismiss that my patient was in dire distress. When it was her turn to be seen, I entered her realm. She was lying on the examination table with a blanket up to her chin, the blood pressure cuff was beeping a bunch of numbers at me, and the room’s neon lights were turned off to make her more comfortable. I stood at the foot of the bed and looked deep into my patient’s eyes. Examining her as I would, fully present, I noticed as my coordinator scurried to remove the cuff from her arm and get her papers together. My patient was in trouble.

I looked deep into her eyes. She was participating in a clinical trial offering a new agent for the treatment of her disease. It was clear to me that the treatment had taken its toll. I was saddened and angered by her ill physical condition, but how can you show your anger to a person you highly respect. Someone who had taken a chance to help herself and so many others by participating in a trial that might define the next treatment for the generations to come who are plagued with this disease. I asked her husband “How long has this been going on?” He replied “for the last 10 days. She has been sleeping for almost 18 hours a day.” She was fatigued to the point it was interfering with her life. “I did not want to bother you”, came slowly from her lips “I just pushed on wanting to make the treatment successful”. Ah, that common feeling of wanting to do more than what is expected. Here is what I have to say to that, to the patients who feel they do not need to reach out when they are in trouble. Don’t be silent, YELL. Let me know, make as much noise as you need to, your voice is always heard, you are alerting me to things I want to know and things I can help you with, averting a potential danger. Don’t wait, don’t ever think you are a bother, and don’t ever imagine you interrupt or annoy me; I want you to be an honest messenger to an event that I can help you get though. You are a beacon to help me, and I am the lighthouse that shines the light to help you through these troubled waters. YELL.

We talked through humor and we made a laugh of it, I guess that is the way to express your anger to those you respect. “I am such a Dodo” she said, “I just did not know that I could bother you even with this”. Her husband’s eyes filled with tears as he realized he could have intervened earlier. “It’s ok” I said, ” I’m an oncologist more is always better, let’s hope it kicked your tumor’s $@# for the trouble it has put you through”. That brought a few cackles. I saw what I needed, the relief that she had shared her trouble and that once again it was not her responsibility for the decision. It was mine. I reassured her, asked my coordinator to check on her every other day; till I knew she was out of the woods. I said “it’s not your decision any more to just not tell me, I am going to have someone call you to make sure you get out of this, safely”.

My friends, yell, when you think it does not count, yell and you will be heard. It’s my job to make sure you live your life, and not suffer unnecessarily. Yell. I want to know how I can help you. I will always be there, and with the knowledge I have I will guide you to safety.

Mo