Internal Medicine Patient:
Veteran, father, grandfather
COPD, heart failure, new diagnosis of terminal cancer
Denial, anger, depression
Weeks in the hospital
My last day comes
“It’s been my pleasure,” I say
“Thank you for seeing me every day,” He replies
“You have what it takes,” Hand to his chest, “In here. You care.”
He cries, I go home, I cry
Laura Hamant is a member of the University of Arizona, College of Medicine-Phoenix class of 2019. She is an Arizona native, hailing from Tucson. She received her undergraduate education at the University of California, San Diego and completed a B.S. in Cognitive Science with minors in Biology and Dance. Her hobbies include ballet, cooking, and baking.