Helplessness

Of the many patients I have met in the lead up to my exams, two recent ones stand out to me. Both were fairly young men (relative to the usual patient population in Australia) in their late 50s and 60s who had been struck by incurable diseases. The first had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years prior and the other had fairly well controlled Parkinson Disease. In both cases the men told me about their disease, both speaking about how "it's going to get worse isn't it doc?" The first was bitter, the second, more accepting, but in both cases I wanted to bring comfort. I wanted to tell them it would be okay but I couldn't. I wanted to offer empathy, wanted to say that I understood because I'd been there too, but I couldn't. All I could really say was that I was sorry and that I hoped their hospital stay went well. In Australia we do not speak with patients about faith unless the patient initiates such topics but even at a non-religious level, even in wanting to offer some comfort, I couldn't. I didn't know what I could do.