Tag Archives: desperation

Palace of Care – Relentless Pursuit

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Photo by John Thomas on Unsplash

It’s one thing after another, after another. I’m not usually like this but over the last months I’ve been worn down. It’s too much to handle. I’m not sure I can go on any longer. I feel so terrible. I don’t think I can take much more. You know what I think is happening? I think I’m dying. I think I’m dying.

You might be right, but you’re not dead yet. You’ve had a lot happen to you in hospital. The operations, the blood clots, the infection. Nature’s been trying to take you out.

I just want to go home. I love my home. I built it myself, with my own two hands. Your place is better than the hospital, but it’s nothing compared to my own home.

Sure. We’ll try our best to get you home as soon as possible. I don’t think you’re ready yet. You only arrived a few hours ago. We need to get to work calming down your pain and nausea. I want you more comfortable before we can get you home. The last thing I want is for you to bounce back and forward between home and here. I would like to prepare you for one good discharge.

Okay, that sounds good. I just had to get out of that hospital. I couldn’t stand it any more. I wanted out so badly. It’s just too much to take. Sobs loudly

We’re going to get you through this, and your family too. We’re going to keep a close eye on you and will treat your symptoms aggressively as we know you want to get back home as soon as possible. Do you have any questions?

I think therefore I am? – Sales Pitch

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Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

Different healthcare cultures lead to different healthcare and expectations. If you have the money you can buy almost any treatment it depends on what people are willing to sell, and the cost that is being charged. There is a large market that caters to desperation. Nothing else has worked, come and see us, and we will keep you alive. If it doesn’t work it isn’t our fault, you probably didn’t follow the strict protocol correctly. You didn’t try hard enough. Sorry our treatments is so good but we can’t offer a money back guarantee. It’s so good that you won’t need your money back. It also cures…whatever else you have. No what I’m selling is not too good to be true, it is truly good. Those other doctors haven’t had as much training as I have. They were just trained in traditional Western or Eastern medicine. I am an advanced practitioner and I will be able to help you. Join our subscription model and start saving your life now. Just one easy monthly payment via direct debit. Don’t worry about the billing we will just collect the money ourselves as customer satisfaction is our top priority. It’s a real bargain my cold-pressed extra-virgin snake oil…

Drink this potion, apply this lotion, move your body in this motion.

Use this poultice, made without artifice, I have 40 years of practice.

It looks bigger on the scan, that’s just a scam, your disease our treatment will slam.

What else can we do, what do you mean you can’t poo, none of our happy patients would ever sue.

Why would you want a treatment pause, didn’t you read the last clause, it’s all ours now what was yours.

You did it all wrong, you didn’t follow along, our medication is strong.

The price has to increase, the supply of this rare element is about to cease, yes we extract it from fleas.

You can’t get out of bed, that’s all in your head, why don’t you try harder instead.

We will now have to intercede, our service you will always need, otherwise your cancer will grow at speed.

Sorry we can’t answer right now, our attention we cannot allow, we are too busy saving lives to take a bow.

It worked for everyone else, it even cleared up that guy’s welts, it’s your attitude that smells.

What you’ve run out of funds, you can’t afford the frankfurters just the buns, well sorry we have to runs.

Palace of Care – Existential Devastation

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Photo by Pacific Office Interiors on Unsplash

I was worried about my patient. Swallowing was compromised. Their thinking was compromised. Oral intake was minimal. More of the day was taken over by the need to sleep. Pain control was still inadequate. They felt so out of sorts, miserable in all aspects of their being. A proud person who had worked hard to overcome many difficulties. Trying harder had worked throughout life. The same attitude prevailed during the cancer battle. Pushing themselves harder and harder, no matter how terrible the side effects or the pain. Sheer determination and willpower saw them through.

This came at the cost of themself. They hadn’t felt normal for a long time. The physical pain could be tolerated but the inner voice of existential distress had become unbearable in recent weeks. It could not be ignored. Nothing felt right. It was not supposed to be like this. They should have been planning for a family holiday rather than their own funeral to ease the burden on the family. A casket had been chosen and of course, it had to be in the favourite colour. Different from most people’s preferences but being different was nothing new. Growing up as an immigrant in a mostly white country you are used to being different.

There was so much that had been planned for the future, the future stolen away by cancer. Cancer took away too much and had not finished. It was taking precious life away, draining the internal battery constantly. The image in the mirror was shrinking day by day. The sense of intactness was long gone. Feeling like themself, was but a distant memory from a bygone era, from someone else’s life. There was still too much to do. The need to get everything just right had always been there, now it was all-consuming. Too many competing priorities and time, precious time, was running out. Too many thoughts smashing against each other in their head. Unable to make sense of it all. The nights were the worst time of all. The long lonely nights were when the thoughts reached their crescendo and then deteriorated into cacophony.

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