Pictured is a crocheted piece that has unravelled and frayed at one end. My surgical service delivers an inordinate amount of unexpected terminal diagnoses, and I have watched many patients (who came in hoping for a surgical cure) learn that their time is very short. These patients are usually matter-of-fact with us, but after we step out of the room, I have heard many struggle to deliver the news to their loved ones over the phone. I am still learning how to hold space for these patients without unraveling myself.
Adrian Witol