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  • 55 Words

My Patient

“Can you please let me go?”
She pleaded with tears in her eyes
Her daughter was turning 16
And she needed to be there

Her body was completely swollen
Barely able to stand let alone walk
Her cheeks were sunken
Her eyes jaundiced

She was dying and knew as much
But she wanted to savor the last moments
With her daughter and family
Not in a hospital room surrounded by strangers

She did leave 
And never came back
I hope she made it for her daughter’s birthday
And I hope that she’s finally at peace

Latha Achanta M.D., M.P.H., FACP, is a Professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine.

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Posted on October 7, 2020

Filed Under: 2 - Poetry

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