Everything else could wait...or could it?

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I am someone who had always put my patients and my job first. Medicine was—and continues to be—my calling. My family has always been important, and my husband also accepted and understood how much I care for my patients. Everything else could wait...or could it?

This quote is found in Location 87 of Kindle version of this book. It is about how her illness did not wait, though she could keep waiting everything else till she dutifully completed her job.

Do you think if she cared a little bit more about herself, she could have had a better chance of not getting the cancer? What is more important; doing your job wholeheartedly or caring for you and your loved ones?

[Vishnu Priya B]

I've always wondered how much time I have. What if my life ends the next minute? Will I regret it? The fact is I won't if I've lived a happy life. By happy, I don't mean the standards set by society but doing the things that would genuinely make me happy.
Not everyone has the same kind of priorities. For instance, I prioritise my family. Some people give more importance to their career. Likewise, the author found her happiness in caring for her patients. She clearly mentions it was her calling.
My take: prioritise whatever makes you happy. Everything else can wait... Of course!

[Bookreviewer71]

The author doesn't seem to consider what she is doing as a job, as she loves being a caregiver. When someone loves what they do for a living as much as the author does, it is impossible to separate work from life. As she has an understanding family, she didn't have to worry about work-life balance. Nobody can foresee the future, so it would be unfair to say the author didn't put health her health first.

[Jasleen Chadha]

The answer lies in the question: "What is it that gives you satisfaction when you go to bed at night?" Happiness will always be subjective for everyone. There is no right answer here; you have to feel satisfied and complete in whatever you choose to do.
The author found her peace while caring for her patients. She felt the happiness in the greater good of the community. But at the same time, it wouldn't have been selfish of her if she would've chosen her family over her career.

[Mercy Osmond]

As a human we all have something that drives us. Some call it passion, people find their passion in their jobs, families, friends, talents etc. Life is too short doing something that doesn't drive you and yes everything else could wait, so far as it involves what you love doing.
So for me i think the sickness was inevitable, it isn't about her not taking care of herself. One way or the other if its not sickness it might be something else, you know why because life is short.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I've always wondered how much time I have. What if my life ends the next minute? Will I regret it? The fact is I won't if I've lived a happy life. By happy, I don't mean the standards set by society but doing the things that would genuinely make me happy.
Not everyone has the same kind of priorities. For instance, I prioritise my family. Some people give more importance to their career. Likewise, the author found her happiness in caring for her patients. She clearly mentions it was her calling.
My take: prioritise whatever makes you happy. Everything else can wait... Of course!

It is up to you to choose your own priorities. And if they make you happy your life will be complete. But as a social being we are inevitably bound to our families. So if one has made his career the priority and his family the second, it may cause the family to suffer. He may rise in his career, but will get distant from his close ones. What completeness will be there in such a life

[Sushan Ekanayake]

The author doesn't seem to consider what she is doing as a job, as she loves being a caregiver. When someone loves what they do for a living as much as the author does, it is impossible to separate work from life. As she has an understanding family, she didn't have to worry about work-life balance. Nobody can foresee the future, so it would be unfair to say the author didn't put health her health first.

Partially agree. But from what the author has said we can see that she was postponing caring about the unusual growth of her limb because of nothing else but her beloved job. By the time her husband took her for medical attention, it has been spread to her lymph nodes. If she took some time and went to a specialist earlier, her illness could have been diagnosed at quite an early stage.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

The answer lies in the question: "What is it that gives you satisfaction when you go to bed at night?" Happiness will always be subjective for everyone. There is no right answer here; you have to feel satisfied and complete in whatever you choose to do.
The author found her peace while caring for her patients. She felt the happiness in the greater good of the community. But at the same time, it wouldn't have been selfish of her if she would've chosen her family over her career.

I think the best thing to do is to balance work life with the personal life. However much one loves one's career, the same won't be felt or understood by that one's family and they might feel neglected. When someone is in deep trouble, usually they turn towards there own family though they used to do a lot to the outer society.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

As a human we all have something that drives us. Some call it passion, people find their passion in their jobs, families, friends, talents etc. Life is too short doing something that doesn't drive you and yes everything else could wait, so far as it involves what you love doing.
So for me i think the sickness was inevitable, it isn't about her not taking care of herself. One way or the other if its not sickness it might be something else, you know why because life is short.

I agree. One way or the other we are day by day going towards nothing else, but death. But there are many ways that a person can die, and I am pretty sure if anyone is given the chance to choose, he will choose the least painful way to die.

This author could have diagnosed with her illness earlier if she thought of taking some time off from her beloved profession and spent that on her. Most of the time a cancer can be fought with less damage to its victim if it is diagnosed early. I think she should have taken that step earlier and that could have ended up with a better outcome. To serve others one should live first, and be healthy.

[G_CReads]

Doing what makes you happy is very vital. Some people put all their efforts, mind, resources on things that at the end of the day, won't make them happy, rather it makes them feel sad. According to the author, taking care of her patients makes her happy. Therefore, everything else can wait, make sure you prioritize whatever that makes you happy.

[Black Tulip]

Every creature, including human beings on this earth, has some sort of a purpose. An obligation to fulfil for this universe. And medicine was her call. Not all of us are lucky to have such a "call". I think it was the purpose of her life. Healing people. And that made her happy. If she neglected her job, and if she was diagnosed early, still, there is this question, will she be happy?

[Gabrielle Sigaki]

About the author's cancer, I don't think that if the author took more care of herself it could change the odds of having a disease. About the question about which one is more important: your job or you and your family. I think that it is intimately related to happiness and to what do you value most. It's a question that really depends on several personal factors, such as your job, your family, your friends, and other aspects. The author talks about it a lot, but it seems that she valued the aspect of helping other people in her job and I think there's no wrong or right about it, each person is a different case.

[Fola Moni]

Yes, you should always do what makes you happy or what you are extremely passionate about but that shouldn't be detrimental to one's well being. Work-life balance is vital.

Taking care of yourself should always be a top priority. I'm sorry to say that the author didn't put herself first. If you do not take care of yourself, how can you be in your best form to take care of others?

[Jasleen Chadha]

The answer lies in the question: "What is it that gives you satisfaction when you go to bed at night?" Happiness will always be subjective for everyone. There is no right answer here; you have to feel satisfied and complete in whatever you choose to do.
The author found her peace while caring for her patients. She felt the happiness in the greater good of the community. But at the same time, it wouldn't have been selfish of her if she would've chosen her family over her career.

I think the best thing to do is to balance work life with the personal life. However much one loves one's career, the same won't be felt or understood by that one's family and they might feel neglected. When someone is in deep trouble, usually they turn towards there own family though they used to do a lot to the outer society.

I agree with what you are saying but if you really love your work and can't seem to get enough of it, your family will definitely understand your passion and will support you no matter what. Although, you shouldn't take them for granted and make them understand that you are there for them whenever they need you. I'm sure if you make this crystal clear to them, they would never feel neglected by you rather they'd support you by all means.

[MBerretta]

This is such a hard question. Yes, if she had taken time to care for herself, rested, and relaxed maybe she might have caught the symptoms sooner? I'm not sure if we can blame ourselves for something so unknown. She could have very well-developed cancer regardless.