I used to follow a patient with leukemia for quite some time and had a great time taking care of them. It was probably one of the happier moments I spent seeing cancer patients, probably because the type of leukemia is highly treatable and with a relatively good remission rate.
I would always go visit early in the mornings to check up on my patient and keep them updated on their lab values they meticulously recorded in a little book. Around the last couple of days before my rotation was up, they said "Y'all gonna make me cry!" happy and excited to hear that their white count had improved and their bone marrow was on the up and up.
Oncology takes a lot of stamina, emotionally. Though sometimes there is plenty of joy. In this field you follow patients for what I feel is a long time (around 2 weeks or more) and really get to connect with them.
One of the best parts of medicine is learning what gives a patient their identity and what they value, because it makes their hospital stay easier. Patients are just like any body else, just needing medical care.
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