Mixed Feelings

Met some of my ex-colleagues today at my friend's housewarming. I was really happy to see them, but at the same time I feel a slight detachment from them as I was no longer working in the same hospital as them.

Then there was my colleague who told me she'll be coming down to cover in my in-charge's absence. I like this colleague, but I still worry about working with her for 3 months straight as she had previously worked under my in-charge and he had his grumbles about her. What's more she is pregnant and I do worry that she'll use it as an excuse to take sick leave. I know... it's bad of me to make assumptions.

Earlier today, I heard that one of the patients had gone overseas for treatment and returned to Singapore. However, the patient's condition did not improve and the parents decided to try traditional chinese medicine. The chinese sinsei asked the patient to take highly toxic medication and now the patient is warded, very sick and in much pain. As a healthcare professional I know it is not right to give up on a patient. However, in such a case when I see the parents fighting so hard to keep their child alive, I start to wonder if the parents are doing it for the child, or are they doing it for themselves. Is it because they can't let go, so in their selfishness they persist in subjecting their child to one treatment after another? Are they forcefully holding on to the life of the child simply because a child does not know how to express the wish to not continue treatment and to just be left to die or even if the child did express the wish not to continue treatment the parents just brush it aside thinking the child doesn't know any better?