From The Memory Vault...A Survivor....

I will be posting some of the amazing stories that I encountered during my studies for the time being since I'm still unemployed!

This story is about an Indian gentleman; let's call him "Mark". I met him only once during my first rotation in Surgery. He came smiling in the out patient clinic, holding a huge white envelope that contains his X-rays. Said "hello" and handed the envelope to the attending surgeon. The surgeon returned his hello and then looked at us and told us-medical students- that this gentlemen has an amazing story to tell, I'll let him tell you in his own words.

So Mr. Mark began telling his story: " I was hospitalized not that long, about 6 months ago with symptoms of fever. After running all different kind of test on me, the doctors came to deliver the bad news. They said I have Leukemia and that they discovered a swelling in my abdomen more than 5 cm in diameter. I was transferred to the specialized hospital immediately, upon getting there my fever stayed with me for a couple of days, and the doctors continued running all kinds of test on me. During that time I told the doctors that God will not give me this disease and I can't have it. I kept saying that and all they did was nod and go out of my room".

We the medical students looked at each other and then I asked him " why did you have such a strong belief in that?". He smiled at me and said " let me continue my story and you will know why".

He continued:" Well, I kept telling my self God will not give me this disease all the time and even after all the tests showed up confirming the diagnoses I kept saying that I don't have this disease and telling the doctors in a few days you will see that I'm right". He told us that it was not a denial but a strong peaceful believe in God that He will rescue him from this illness.

Only after staying in the hospital for less than a week, that day the attending unit came to his room delivering the amazing news to him. They said" Mr. Mark, somehow today your result came out to be normal and the imaging we did to your swelling had reduced in size. You are a healthy man now. Free of cancer!". I smiled back and told them "I told you".

He told us since then I've been visiting this clinic for follow up. All my check up are fine now. The attending physician looked at us holding the CT scans in his hand and motioned to us to come and look at them. The doctor said " Look at the images" he showed us the old ones with the 5 cm swelling and then showed us the recent CT scan taken a couple of days back. It showed no trace of the swelling! I asked the doctor "what happened?". He said " we admitted to the hospital a dying man and now he's a healthy individual. How? why? we don't know! We can't explain it".

Mr. Mark asked us " Do you know why I felt this strong feeling that God won't give me this disease? It's because I did a lot of good deeds in my life that was inspired from my dad's good act to people. I've helped a lot of people in this country expecting nothing in return.

And he started telling his story: " I was born to a poor family, my father worked in a factory in the area that we lived in. He helped a lot of our friends and neighbours to get jobs in that factory. My father refused to take any sort of gifts after his friends got the job, he used to tell them and me that he only did it in God's sake, and that he always told me if you want to do anything do it so as to please God and not to get credit from others. So his friends used to sneak small gifts such as fruit baskets or some food supply to my mother and me and insisted not to tell my father because they knew he didn't allow it."

" So I took his example and as I came to this country I helped my friends get jobs and didn't take anything in return, because I did it in God's sake. That's why my belief was so strong that God will protect me as long as I lived. That's my story."

After that the surgeon said I told you that Mr. Mark has an amazing story to share. He's one of the lucky individuals we meet every day.

I haven't met Mr. Mark again, but his story is still engraved in my mind.

A New Start...

I've just finished my medical degree and in few weeks I will be starting my rounds in hospital wards as a "trainee" or "intern".

I want to document my "rounds" experience, that's why I created this blog.

I've experienced and heard amazing "medical stories" during my three year clinical training, and as time goes by, I want to document the new events I will be facing in this blog.

Hope you'll enjoy each experience I write down.