"The two miracles I pray for"

Wow, what people I get to meet. So I was having a not so good day yesterday. No one thing inparticular happened to send the day into a tail spin but a series of little things that upset me (this is where I'm supposed to breath in, breath out, and move on right?). So as I was stewing about these things that were about to put me over the edge; my annual review, the massive amount of work that lay ahead of me, and how I don't have enough time in my day to do what I want. I was just overwhelmed.

So the latter part of my day included following the transport staff around northwestern memorial hospital to see if they are using the lift equipment. Great, that's just what I wanted to do. Well, that was a blessing in disguise for me. On one of our second rounds picking up patients for transport I discovered this frail, elderly looking man, with jaundice(yellow) looking skin,a catether in his bladder, multiple IV lines protruding from both arms, a tube in his nose, and two chest tubes coming out his left side. He says, "Are you here to get me?" To which, I reply "Yes, Sir we are going to bring you back to you room. He says, "Okay, I'm ready for the ride."

As we got to talking, I discovered that this man was a "short timer"(his description) he described his battle with cancer and how his time on this Earth was going to be shortened. The Doctors he said had my wife call in our friends and family because they don't know how much longer I will make it. He said it's okay, I have had a great life and a great family. My eyes were teary and I just listened. He said, "I'm praying for two miracles, do you want to know what they are?" I said, sure tell me and I will pray too. He said, I'm praying that the CUBS win the World Series and that I WILL be around to WATCH them. Through watery eyes, I just smiled and started laughing. I said Man, I hope they win too and I hope you have the best seat in the house. When we got him back and settled into his room I shook his hand and said it was nice meeting him and I enjoyed the visit. I told him to look forward to the "Fall Classic" and Go Cubbies. The reality is the man will be lucky if he makes it another month. The strange irony is that this man is 57 years old, the same age as my Dad.

The man has been on my mind for the last day and a half. I pray for he and his family every time I think of it. It's ironic, I was mopping around for a good portion of day yesterday having a pity party. Then I met my patient who is dying of Cancer and he has a great attitude. God has a good way of slapping in the face with a healthy dose of PERSPECTIVE.

I truly hope that the Cubs Win the World Series however, if they don't I will never forget this patient and his two miracles. If perfect laid plans existed the version would be something like this. The Cubs would be winning in the 7th game of the World Series against the Red Sox and my patient would be sitting in heaven pain free aside Harry Caray singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

Does it get much better?