A helluva story

Maybe it just take someone who became Lara Croft onscreen to tackle an issue like prophylactic mastectomy. Angelina Jolie  lit up the internet today with an op-ed about her experience having the BRCA-1 gene, a mother with cancer and her own double mastectomy.

I enjoyed reading it. While both my parents had cancer (one died from it), I am constantly reminded of my own risks. Modern medicine can now present the tests to see if the genie really is in the bottle (inside us.)

Sometimes, it just takes a lot of fortitude to be able to open it.

More to come...

Lord, grant me...

Forgiveness, when I accidentally spill coffee on our most senior nurse as I pass.

Patience, when some patients think up all sorts of excuses.

Fortitude, when I have to transfer people who just want to give up, no matter how you try to give them a sense of dignity.

Restraint, when I really want to reach across the bed and strangle the specialist who tells me I am "leading the patient" with my questions. I really wanted to say, "Since I'm with him a little more than you and he told me xx (see that note), how am I leading him, when I'm asking for an update?"

Strength as I push, pull and move people around.

The ability not to cry, when my favorite patient (who's been here the longest of anyone we have right now) goes home. What a day to do it...bright and sunny!