Everything else could wait...or could it?

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I think it is a hard call. The reality is the better we take care of ourselves the better we can care for others (because we would be healthy). The reality is we often put others before ourselves. I am guilty of it. I have always taken better care of my children and husband than I do myself. However, I will not take care of career things better than I take care of myself. We each have to strike a balance that works for us.

I think caring for your own and caring for others as a part of your profession is different. You can care for your loved ones with unconditional love and in that you may think of their well being more than yours. But there is high chance for them to care for you in return and passively your health will be looked after. But such a thing is quite impossible in a professional level of care.

[cd20]

I think it is a hard call. The reality is the better we take care of ourselves the better we can care for others (because we would be healthy). The reality is we often put others before ourselves. I am guilty of it. I have always taken better care of my children and husband than I do myself. However, I will not take care of career things better than I take care of myself. We each have to strike a balance that works for us.

I think caring for your own and caring for others as a part of your profession is different. You can care for your loved ones with unconditional love and in that you may think of their well being more than yours. But there is high chance for them to care for you in return and passively your health will be looked after. But such a thing is quite impossible in a professional level of care.

I tend to disagree. Even in a professional level of care, it is possible to care for others unconditionally, it depends on your personality and the job, but it is possible. I also think, depending on the job, and the friends that you make, that others will be looking out for your health as well.

[Kuchi Mercy]

In as much one could be extremely passionate about their work or career, especially when they view it as not just the source of a paycheck, but also a means of creating impact and relevance, I suggest that care for personal and family life should not be left in the rear. We most times are effective in our careers as much as our personal and family lives are. Some other things can wait, but things like personal health and family should not.

[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

I'm in agreement with you there, as much as one may value their career, family should always rank higher than career on the priority list. One's health even higher. I think neglecting one's self and those closest to a person claiming fulfilment in a career and in caring for patients is in a way hypocritical and selfish. Care for yourself well first to then you can be available to look after others.

Exactly. Caring for yourself and your family does not mean that you neglect others. Ones who care about loved ones care to everyone with that loving care. At most of the times blood is thicker than water, so it is better to treat firstly yourself, then your family and then everyone else.

[Kanchan Sharma]

It is not necessary that if she would have taken more care of herself, then she wouldn't have acquired cancer. Many seemingly healthy-looking people also get caught by the disease. For the author taking care of her patients was her first priority because it was her passion and not merely a job. That is why kept aside everything else and concentrated on her job only.

[britcott30]

I simply believe that if something already has "too much" in it, the result will never be good. If you put your heart too much into the job, it will never be good for other aspects of your life. And vice versa, if you put your priority too much on your family, it will affect the others. So if we can live our lives with balance, hopefully, it can reduce bad things that will happen to us.

[ReaderAisha2020]

I don't think the cancer would have been prevented if she had been less dedicated to work. There is most likely some other cause. However, although we can't really blame her I wonder why she did not notice the symptoms sooner.

In any case I think that being dedicated to her patients may have benefitted more than anything and if you believe as I do that everything happens for a reason, maybe this happened to help her understand her patients better or even to receive back some of the treatment she herself gave to others.

We really don't know how things would have been if she had not been so devoted to her work, but actually it is said that helping and supporting others actually helps to improve our health and well being so maybe it could have slowed it from spreading at least - but no one can know for sure

Also, many people have been directly I'll from coronovirus and we see them as hero's. I think we cannot really blame altruistic people if they get affected or I'll for helping others. It is sad but admirable, and they are only intending to help others not get ill

[Kiran Kanwar]

I think that you should be your first priority always. Family, career, people around you, etc should be secondary. Take care of yourself first, that helps in having better relations with others and your career too.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

in life, nothing should come after your safety or health, not even other people's safety or health because to help others you have to first be in good health. You are no good to anyone if you’re not healthy or safe and that’s why on planes you are required to put on your oxygen mask before helping others. Doctors owe it to their patients to be healthy and I think it’s part of a doctor's job to be healthy first.

I agree. It is the duty of a doctor to care his patients. But it is said nowhere to neglect the doctor's own self in the process. How can a doctor provide good care unless he is well. And how can he be an example to the patients if he does not lookafter his own self?

[the_ashfeathers]

That's some hardcore dilemma. But we can't have everything at the same time, can we? Something will be missed as you enjoy something. Regrets will never perish entirely but we can still minimize them, live to the fullest.

Happiness is a relative term, anyway.

[Nancy Morara]

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.

I agree and it's hard to escape the inevitable, indeed she could have still developed cancer. What she needs to do is not to beat herself for what she didn't do, but rather focus on her medication and making herself happy in the meantime that's the least she can do. She shouldn't spend or waist her time thinking what ifs , but to ensure she lives her life to the fullest.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I can very much relate to this quote as I also tend to put work, family, friends etc. first before my own health or happiness. I suppose that self esteem has something to do with it, too. I believe that the author's story is an eye-opener to have an honest look at our own lives and start looking a bit more after ourselves.

Many tend to forget about their own selves when they care for others. Being selfless is a good thing. But being self-neglegent is not a good thing, and it will end up in bad consequences like this author herself ended up with.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I think you can't take care of others if you can't take care of yourself, and the healthiest thing you can do is put yourself in the first place. However, I also come from a family of physicians and this sums it up perfectly: they are the worst patients. Being around ill people, they think they are invulnerable, so maybe that's something that could've played a role for the author.

Most of the doctors think like that. Because they see many patients and illnesses on a daily basis, they tend to neglect most of their own illnesses because they have seen far worse. But what they forget is that it is better to break it by nail without waiting to cut it off with an axe.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

We can never define the quality of life by how much time we have. The author clearly cares about her job and her patients. She doesn’t think of her job as something she does for a paycheck. In this case, caring more about herself may or may not prevent the cancer but it won’t make her more happier and satisfied with herself.

Caring for herself a bit more would not have prevented her from getting cancer, but it could have helped it to be diagnosed early.

Yes, she is a dedicated physician and she loves her job. But I do not think caring for herself a little bit more would have lessen the quality of her service or the respect that she gain.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

There's always a golden equilibrium between your career and yourself/your family. When you're at work you should give 100% but this is also the case when you're alone or with your family.

It is a good thing if you can fully commit yourself for your course. At work you should forget your family and vice versa. But that cannot be done practically and that won't be healthy as well. So you have to do your job while caring for your self and your family.