There are moments in life when, as you're sitting there, you know will become one of those moments that you will remember - for a while at least. Today, I met a man who was dying - like few-weeks-to-live-dying. The conversation started normally, and then I asked a simple question (I can't even remember what I asked, because I was too distracted with the answer) and he told me he only had a few weeks to live.
He then explained to me that palliative care was commencing next week - two nurses were going to come over to his house and assist him with preparations for dying. I don't know why it affected me so much, but it did. It was not like he was young or healthy and the impending death was unexpected, he was just an old guy who had abused his body. He had it coming.
He explained his situation very matter-of-factly, like he was reading a story about someone else. This man had a terminal illness and was in a great deal of pain. But not once did he complain. Not once. I kept sitting there expecting him to either get upset or angry, but he continued with his emotionless state. It was intriguing. I just kept thinking, if I was this guy, I would either be in tears or really angry that i had to sit through a lousy assessment even though I was in pain and only had a few weeks of life left.
It didn't cross my mind until after he had left that maybe I should've tried to pass him a tract (something I could get mega-busted by my work for, but something this guy really needed). After some quick encouragement via email (thanks Truc!), I ran out into the crazy weather to try to find him, but he was gone, never to be seen again. I definitely regret not thinking of it earlier.
All I can do now is hope and pray that one day, hopefully in the next few weeks, someone will talk to him, pass him a tract, or he himself will be prompted to read the Bible and invite the Lord into His heart.
He then explained to me that palliative care was commencing next week - two nurses were going to come over to his house and assist him with preparations for dying. I don't know why it affected me so much, but it did. It was not like he was young or healthy and the impending death was unexpected, he was just an old guy who had abused his body. He had it coming.
He explained his situation very matter-of-factly, like he was reading a story about someone else. This man had a terminal illness and was in a great deal of pain. But not once did he complain. Not once. I kept sitting there expecting him to either get upset or angry, but he continued with his emotionless state. It was intriguing. I just kept thinking, if I was this guy, I would either be in tears or really angry that i had to sit through a lousy assessment even though I was in pain and only had a few weeks of life left.
It didn't cross my mind until after he had left that maybe I should've tried to pass him a tract (something I could get mega-busted by my work for, but something this guy really needed). After some quick encouragement via email (thanks Truc!), I ran out into the crazy weather to try to find him, but he was gone, never to be seen again. I definitely regret not thinking of it earlier.
All I can do now is hope and pray that one day, hopefully in the next few weeks, someone will talk to him, pass him a tract, or he himself will be prompted to read the Bible and invite the Lord into His heart.
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