For those that know me IRL, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in the past year including the passing of a close family member. So as 2025 begins, I have thought a lot about what brings me a sense of purpose. It’s easy to get lost in the daily grind of work, but, as a doctor who sees patients full-time, I have the opportunity to help people every single day. This sounds corny as I write this, but this is a precious gift that I never want to take for granted.
If I add an emergency patient to my schedule, it's easy to complain about rushing, missing lunch, or going home later. But this relatively small effort make a big difference to that patient. I was reminded by this recently when I received a thank you note from my patient, Katie. A month earlier, Katie had called the office in a panic because an exercise band snapped into her face - she suddenly went blind in her right eye. I told her to come right in. The trauma had caused bleeding which filled the entire front of her eye (called an 8 ball hyphema). Katie was sobbing and scared, and I reassured her that she would be OK. Over the next few weeks, I treated her problem and monitored her progress, always watching out to make sure she didn’t need emergency surgery. She did great and regained all of her eyesight. Some time later, Katie sent me this thank you note and a custom art paperweight.
I am thankful that I made the extra effort that day to see Katie when she needed me. I am also grateful that I have the proper training and skills to take care of almost any eye issue that walks in the door. It also helps that I like what I do - each work day is not a “grind,” but an opportunity to help.
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