I want to tell you about one of my patients, an amazing man with courage, dignity and persistence. A man who has battled severe illness for the last two years and came close to dying on more than one occasion. But he fought back, and this past Friday , I discharged him from hospital with the biggest smile on his face.
Anyone with a chronic illness faces the possibility of hospitalisation and severe illness. When you are HIV positive this possibility often seems more like a certainty than a maybe. For this man it was a long and arduous journey. I may have been his doctor, but he taught me many valuable lessons.
1) Give in to the reality of illness, but don't give up. When faced with severe illness, the loss of his independence and the reliance on others for his daily needs he did not rage against the unfairness.
In accepting help from others, he acknowledged his frailty with grace and dignity which allowed those helping him to feel appreciated and to offer the care willingly.
He remained positive at all times, and committed to getting better. He placed his trust in me and met every new challenge head on.
2) Keep your eye on the ball. In the last few weeks, he was unable to eat and was placed on a form of feeding where all the nutrients were provided through a drip into the vein that leads to the heart. He would be forgiven for spending his days sleeping and staring out the window. Instead, every time I saw him he had his glasses on, pen in hand and a book open. Some times it was his text books for his professional examinations, others a novel, and some times it was the bible. He handed in an assignment for his course work while in the hospital, and continued to study for an examination which he will now sit for next week.
3) Do not let the virus steal your dignity. This is a man with poise, with great presence and a strong sense of self. Even in his weakest moments, when overcome by diarrhoea and vomiting, he managed a smile, and his eyes retained their identity.
4) Be grateful, there is always good around you. Every day, he found something to be grateful about, whether it was the smile of a nursing sister, a visit from his family, or a pleasant cooling breeze through the window by his bed. He took time to notice his environment and to appreciate the smallest gift of life.
I have learned from him, a lot about the virus and about the illnesses that are ushered into the body on the shoulders of the virus. But, I learned about heroism and humanity from this man and I am grateful for this.
other stories of courage:
http://stillarriving.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-i-really-fight-hiv.html
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/ZIMBABWEEXTN/0,,contentMDK:22004011~menuPK:375742~pagePK:2865066~piPK:2865079~theSitePK:375736,00.html
HIV Support in South Africa - bringing information, Dr Gail Ashford's thoughts and opinions to people affected by or living with HIV.