Our Time is Short

Wow, it has been so long since I have had the opportunity to write. I apologize and promise that I will try to write more frequently. Thank you for understanding that our time is limited, as I am sure you can relate.

To give a little update, I have been blessed to make many friends here in Springfield. My intern class is very supportive of one another and we have become quite close through the many hours spent working side by side. I have also made a few relationships through the church I have been attending. I am also thankful for the hospitality of many CMDA-affiliated attendings within the area. Several have opened their arms to me by either taking me to dinner, inviting me to church, and this weekend I plan to have a little get-away in the home of a general surgeon who is a believer and member of CMDA. I am grateful for the many mentors I have had along the way. To put in a small plug for CMDA, if you have not found a mentor in your area since you have started residency, contact your regional director and they should be able to connect you with someone in close by.

I am also so thankful for my family and friends from Kentucky. Over the Labor Day weekend, two dear friends from home, my family, and a couple new friends here helped to move my furniture from Kentucky to Illinois. It is such a change going from lawn chairs and T.V. tables to a couch and a desk. My house in Kentucky has not sold at this time, and I would appreciate all prayers that someone would buy it soon.

This weekend, I had my first end-of-life discussions with a family while in residency. It was incredibly complex as the patient had taken a toll for the worse and the decision to make a patient DNR or comfort care is always a difficult decision to make. What I found to be the most helpful was to gather information about each option the family had before them and to clearly articulate which route they wanted to pursue. I offered to pray with the family. Then at church on Sunday, the sermon discussed how our time is so limited and that we must make the most of the time we have – making Jesus famous day-by-day. All I could think about was my patient’s dear family and the limited time they have with their loved one. I also reviewed my actions: am I making Jesus famous day-by-day? Can people see a difference in my words, attitudes, and actions? What are we doing with our limited amount of time?