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I can't help but I ask why??????

Original post by JassyandOscar

Hey girls,
This post is really long but I just needed to share my hurt and sadness. I just want to know why? I recently lost a patient who had struggled for 7 months and I am really angry because I just can’t see the point of it all. This has made me question the one above and life in general. I will remember the day as if it was yesterday April 29th 2006, for it was one of my most emotional times as a physician on call. I remember receiving the page and getting the consult “18y/o status post gun shot to neck” It was early Saturday morning. I remember thinking to myself “Okay 18y/o, male, Philly, Friday night... probably at a club blaaablaaa” Then I meant this young man and his mother. I remember introducing myself and I remember his face, his fear, his confusion. But the most extraordinary thing I remember was that he was not as scared of the fact that he could feel nothing below his chest and was only able to move his elbows, his fear was that he may have died while in the car at the moment he was shot in the back of his neck and would have left his mother, blaming herself for not taking him home with her from his cousin’s baby shower rather than allowing him to go with his best friend. This was a young man who was a high school scholar was just award a full scholarship to college a star in track and soccer, extremely spiritual. A young man, that by the unfortunate event of being at the wrong place at the wrong time was now laying in a bed unable to feel over move anything.. A man that at that moment that I evaluating him, would have been participating in the Penn relays. I remember his tears, his anguish and fear. I remember his mother’s face, her hurt, her tears as she tried to hold them back and keep telling her son “It will be okay, be strong, I am right here”. I remember my eyes begining to water up as I tried to keep my composure, as i am right now while I sit here writing this post. I remember thinking to myself “What can I say to make things better, I know the prognosis, I know the chances aren’t good, Okay he will probably regain some use of his arms, but what else can I really say???” As emotional and hard it was I do remember that as I left the room some was evoked.. Something I said worked.. They were satisfied and were not ready to give up hope. I followed this patient and continued to have hope, for this patient was so strong.. He and his family were so willing to fight through it. I figured he may be given a second chance.. At least I hope he would. But it seemed that the harder they would tri=y, the harder it would get, he was never given an inch. Rather than improving he ascending to the point where he could no longer feel or move anything below his chin and required a ventilator. But despite this he never gave up hope. He struggled for 7 months, never leaving the hospital, in and out of the ICU/NICU and finally succumbed on 10/31/06. And now I ask why???? What was the purpose of this struggle? Why did he have to suffer to only be taken away in the end? What was the point??? Why did he have to see himself go from being completely able to unable to do anything for himself; why did he have to know that he would never be able to enjoy those intimacy that we so take for granted.... cleaning oneself, dressing oneself, feeding oneself, going to the bathroom oneself, making love....why????? What was learned by this all..? Why did a family have to suffer so much???? And why was it such a good person chosen???? I am sad. I am angry. I am hurt. And I question it all!!!!
SeptBride70 Posted:

Re: I can't help but I ask why??????

oh God honey your post is just heart breaking. i totally know how you feel-- i ask myself WHY everyday of my life. it's so sad and it 'haunts' me. i wish i could say that it will get better or that you will feel better about it but i can't-- i can't say that for sure because that has not happened to me and it has been almost FIVE years since i experienced what changed my life-- what made me ask 'why?'...

so i don't want to fill you up with false hope-- this may very well 'haunt' you like my experience haunts me but you know what? you are a good person, you REALIZE so much that others don't-- just how VALUABLE life really is. that was the most important lesson that losing my friend (what happened almost five years ago, my experience with death and loss) has taught me-- that nothing else matters but what's REALLY important. and of course, we are still going to get mad and upset at little things in life but overall: the fact that you have realized what you have realized makes you a better person who understands SO much... i'm so sorry you had to go through this in such a painful manner- i hope it strengthens you in some way.

it's always the innocent ones and i used to get angry at god-- i still do sometimes but i try not to let myself get filled with too much of that because it takes over your emotions...

hugs for you sweetie!!!
snydl40 Posted:

Re: I can't help but I ask why??????

Unfortuneatly we can't answer any of your questions. This poor young man was a fighter and no matter what, until the end.........he was fighting. Maybe that is what everyone around him was supposed to learn. Regardless of the outlook, you continue to fight. What an inspiration, and I am sure everyone that knew him will never forget him.

I never let anything alter my faith-regardless of what religion you are. It is the one thing that we can hold onto in our lives without question. It allows us to test our boundaries but remember our limits. RIP
enjft Posted:

Re: I can't help but I ask why??????

Jasmine,

We may never know the answer to why but I cant even begin to imagine how you feel. I myself as a mother hope to never feel this pain and I would wish it on no one. Please be strong and know that I am here if you would like to talk.

As far as your question, only the almighty can answer
PegaLega Posted:

Re: I can't help but I ask why??????

I can only say one thing to you-You have more strength than I do as a human being to be able to do what you do, I could NEVER deal with loss whether its close or practically a stranger. I dont do good with death at all. I hope that you are able to find some hope and see it one day in another patient..the fact that you feel for these people no matter who they are is larger than life.

I cant help answer you questions all I can say is that maybe he was given the extra months so that the people he loved and cared for had the chance to realize what you did taking care of him-that life is that sweet and it can happen to anyone and not a second can be taken away. I am sure that his family and friends as upset and angry as they most likely are-have a small part of themselves that is glad he survived even if it was only for a short time afterward...alot of people had a chance to talk to him and tell him how important he was. Sometimes these things are forgotten-you go about your day and not everyone gets the chance to realize this and take action on it. I hope that you are able to find some place in your heart to hold on to your experience with him, and keep him there-and maybe even smile when you realize how strong and tough he was while he was fighting.
onelove1 Posted:

Re: I can't help but I ask why??????

Your post was very touching. I appreciate people like you who do what they do on a daily basis. Nobody warned us that 'life' would be so hard and that somedays we love ourselves, the world, our job etc and somedays we hate everything and within an instant our lives change forever. This is the hardest question for me to answer sometimes WHY?

I wish we had all the answers. Some people say they turn to God and others turn to friends/family for support and even then our questions aren't answered. We grow stroger from each experience and learn from it all. That's the best we can do

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