Grief and Loss

One of my friends from high school recently lost her husband to cancer. Watching her go through this ordeal really struck home to me that visceral feeling of grief and loss. Working in intensive care, we see so many families in distress with the illness or loss of a family member. I try to remain cognizant of these emotions and hope that I express enough empathy for these families. But it's really something different when it's someone you know, someone your age, someone whose shoes you really could have worn.

It is a terrible process, long, agonizing, fighting uphill every step of the way. I watched her struggle with insurance denials, second opinions, discouraging MRI and PET scan results, unexpected hospitalizations, and the struggle to transition to hospice. From a intellectual, medical standpoint, I understood everything; I've seen the process so many times. But it was pain and heartache, grief and loss hearing my friend go through this.

My thoughts go to all those struggling with medical illness and all those caretakers who put their whole heart into it and still come out heartbroken.