no dialysis

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don’t worry, be happy

, ,

She was asleep when I walked into the hospital room, so I gently stroked the back of the hand resting on top of her other one on top of the faded blue cotton blanket. She opened her eyes immediately and wide to look at me.

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still fighting old habits

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The very old woman and her almost old daughter returned to clinic. I knew the very old woman had recently been in the hospital twice over the course of a week.

, , ,

180

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Mr. R wheeled Mr. J into the exam room 90 minutes late. Since patients often wait an hour or more to see us here in the county clinics, it was not an issue for me. But there was an air about Mr. R that let me know I was in for a special encounter.

,

if he was my father

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Mr. Navarro is 79 years old and shakes my hand with his left because rheumatoid arthritis has twisted the right like a pretzel. But even with the left, the shake is not the firm palm-to-palm fingers wrapped around my hand kind of shake.