Word on the Wards has provided me with some of the most meaningful patient encounters I have experienced thus far in pharmacy school. I recall one Friday afternoon very clearly, where I visited patients along with two other students. The first patient we were to visit was asleep, so we went over to the next one. We walked into the room, and greeted this particular patient, whom I will refer to as Sam (disclaimer: not his real name). Sam was an elderly patient, and seemed very timid at first. In order to make small talk, I mentioned how great the view from his room was--you could see far out into the hills of San Francisco.
“Well, you sure have a nice view in here!” I said.
“You call that nice?! No. That’s not the view I want. I want to be in the countryside.” He said.
From there, Sam began to tell us more about his story. He wanted to be in Oklahoma, in the countryside, which was home to him. That’s where he had spent his earliest years, living with the Cherokee tribe. He was half African-American, half Cherokee. He had come out to California as a young adult with his aunt, and had lived in many places since, even moving back to Oklahoma for some time. Now, he was back in California, and his greatest wish was to be back in Oklahoma, with his family.
For the next 45 minutes, we learned so much about this gentleman’s eventful journey through life. We probably learned more about him than he did from us. We discussed his health concerns, including diabetes and hypertension, throughout our conversation as well. He knew so much about both conditions, and it was clear that he was doing his part to ensure these chronic diseases were managed as well as possible. We were all so intrigued by his life story that eventually, our conversation would lead back to his longing for his home in Oklahoma. That was his one wish. “Take everything else away, but just let me live the rest of my days in Oklahoma.” I wish I could grant him that wish. It seemed that the staff at the hospital had let him know they would try to help him find his way there. I left that room wondering what the chances are that would actually happen.
I treasure this encounter, and the opportunity to meet this patient, because it gave me a life lesson I did not have enough experience to know for myself. Life is short. Opportunities come and go, things change, and before you know it, your life has taken a completely different direction. At the end of the day, we might find ourselves so distant from the places and the people we once knew as home--and at some point, it might be too late to go back.
My experience with Sam taught me one other important life lesson. As healthcare professionals, we think of ourselves as patient educators, which we are. However, we have so much to learn from our patients as well. I began to appreciate how important it is to take the time to get to know patients, because every individual has a lifetime of experience that may be invaluable to us.