Sometimes in my profession I have to say, "I'm sorry, there's nothing more I can do." It's very old-fashioned.
It seems impossible that in this day and age there's anything that medicine can't do, and physicians are often reluctant to use those old-fashioned words. Instead we say, "Well, now we have to change our focus." or, "I'm not sure, let's see what the specialists have to say." or, "We can't cure this, but we can continue to treat it". There's lots of ways around it, but we musn't ever say something as hopeless as, "There's nothing more I can do."!
In the movies, the doctor always says this when someone is about to die. But it's not uncommon in less serious situations. There are injuries from which we never fully heal. There are illnesses from which we reap some permanent damage. There are scars that never disappear. We may have a permanent ache.
Perhaps we wish it away, whether the 'thorn' is in our shoulder or our heart. But sometimes we shouldn't. Because of that ache we may be reminded regularly of something we must remember but would wish not to. Or it points us to something we need that we'd like not to. Or it imparts wisdom (like my left shoulder does, every time it goes, 'clunk!').
The interesting thing about that old-fashioned phrase was that whenever I did use it, the effect was never hopelessness; instead, it was usually peace.
It seems impossible that in this day and age there's anything that medicine can't do, and physicians are often reluctant to use those old-fashioned words. Instead we say, "Well, now we have to change our focus." or, "I'm not sure, let's see what the specialists have to say." or, "We can't cure this, but we can continue to treat it". There's lots of ways around it, but we musn't ever say something as hopeless as, "There's nothing more I can do."!
In the movies, the doctor always says this when someone is about to die. But it's not uncommon in less serious situations. There are injuries from which we never fully heal. There are illnesses from which we reap some permanent damage. There are scars that never disappear. We may have a permanent ache.
Perhaps we wish it away, whether the 'thorn' is in our shoulder or our heart. But sometimes we shouldn't. Because of that ache we may be reminded regularly of something we must remember but would wish not to. Or it points us to something we need that we'd like not to. Or it imparts wisdom (like my left shoulder does, every time it goes, 'clunk!').
The interesting thing about that old-fashioned phrase was that whenever I did use it, the effect was never hopelessness; instead, it was usually peace.
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