Too close on this one

I talk with patients here at work every day. They are all trying to get pregnant, and it's hard not to sympathize with them. However we see so many patients that it's easy not to get too involved with any of them.

Today a patient came in who is an exception. I didn't know her before she started coming to our fertility clinic, but now we're on a first name basis. She is really very nice and everyone loves her. However, we have yet to successfully get her pregnant. She keeps an upbeat attitude, and they are trying one more time. Everyone hopes this will be "the " time and she'll have a little baby in nine months. In two weeks we'll know if we were able to make their dreams of a baby come true. I'm sure it will be a long two weeks for them.

In situations like this is hard not to get to know these people. They come in so often, we see them face to face and talk on the phone for days in a row, we know their history (physical and otherwise), and some people just become special to us. Sure, we want everyone to get pregnant, but for some we want it just a little bit more.

This should work for her eventually. There are other patients who have almost no hope of success, but keep trying anyway. These are the heartbreaking cases. I've been in tears here more than once over some patients stories. I'm the first to admit that I'm a huge bleeding heart and can easily sympathize with anyone who has a sob story. So I know that I've got to not get too close to these people. But it's difficult when they are so nice.

It's days like today that I look at the picture on my desk of two little curly red-headed girls and realize how incredibly lucky I am.