Ethics Over Tea

This morning my friend Mandy came over for tea. Mandy is a physician currently doing her residency in pediatrics. I was very interested to hear her tell me of all the ethical dilemmas she faces daily and how it’s often difficult to work with discernment in the medical field. She specifically raised the issue of premature infants and when it’s okay to withhold medical treatment, knowing they’ll die. I asked if it isn’t up to the parents to decide what type of treatment their child receives. She said yes, but, she can greatly influence their decisions by what she tells them.

One of the reasons I couldn’t be a physician, especially to tiny babies, is that I would become too emotionally involved in my patients’ lives. (This is the same reason I would never be a family law attorney.) Every day, Mandy watches tiny babies die. I don’t know how she can do it.

Although many of Mandy’s stories are heart-wrenching, she also has some incredibly funny stories about the kids she works with. For instance, the ones who come into the ER because they’ve swallowed small objects. The doctor asks: “What did you do with that quarter?” The child replies: “I ate it.”

Anyway … I enjoyed my visit with Mandy this morning. I’m grateful God has brought this lovely friend into my life. And it was great to have tea with a friend on a Monday morning. Since when has that happened in my life? Like NEVER.