The Freedom Fighters of Medicine

I still remember, like it was yesterday, my first day as a Doctor...a "real" Doctor. One of the things I loved most about graduating from medical school was that I no longer felt like a fraud calling myself, "Dr. Hassaballa."

Before, during my medical school rotations, if I wanted to get things done, I fibbed and said, "Hi, this is 'Dr. Hassaballa,' and I'm looking for the CBC results..." Had I said, this is "Medical Student Hassaballa," the person on the other end of the phone would have hung up on me.

So, there I was, in the Coronary Care Unit, on my first day. I looked up at the whiteboard with all the patient names on it, and I saw my name, "Hassaballa" listed next to five patients for whom I was now responsible for their medical care. The reality of being a Doctor sunk in so quickly.

That day was July 1, 1999.

Soon thereafter, the nation celebrated, as it always does, its independence from the British Crown on July 4. And when I think of the constant juxtaposition of those two occurrences: the start of the medical careers on thousands of newly graduated physicians and the celebration of the nations' independence, it is a perfect fit in my mind.

That is because we in the medical field - and I mean "all of we": the doctors, nurses, techs, respiratory therapists, physical and occupational therapists, and including the staff cleaning the hospital rooms and delivering food to them - are all freedom fighters. We are fighting, constantly, to secure the freedom of our patients from disease and illness.

Those who practice primary care fight each and every day to manage chronic illness. While they may not be able to fully liberate the patients in their care from diseases such as coronary artery disease or diabetes, they still work very hard to give them as much independence as possible from those chronic illnesses. I am forever in awe of my colleagues in Primary Care.

In the ICU, where I live, I am fighting for the freedom of my patients from critical, life-threatening illness. Most of the time, we are successful. Some times, we are not. In either case, I am so very grateful to be given the opportunity to fight for the freedom of my patients from illness.

Due to the generosity of my partner, I was able to be off this Fourth of July (1,000,000 thanks to him for offering to cover the shift). It was nice to be off and watch the July 4th parade in my hometown and my son march in it. And all the while, my partner, and myriad other healthcare heroes, were working in hospitals and ICUs all across the country to liberate their patients from the scourge of illness. They deserve to be celebrated as well.

And I could not be more grateful to the Lord for His making me a freedom fighter and an agent of His Healing. It is the gift and privilege of a lifetime, and it is a fight of which I will forever be proud.

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