How an empathic doctor gave me courage
The tension in the delivery room was palpable. The doctor had just shared yet another disheartening update. After 61 hours of labor, things were not progressing as expected. The baby was showing signs of distress and the only option now was for me to have a C-section.
My heart sank as I burst into tears. My husband and I were exhausted, frustrated, and afraid. We were eager to meet our first child, but after so many setbacks, fear overwhelmed us.
What else would go wrong? What if there were even more complications during surgery? What if something happened to the baby?
After giving my husband and I a few moments to process the news and pray, the doctor sat at the edge of my hospital bed and listened. Even though she already knew our situation, she let us share.
She couldn’t guarantee success or predict how things would go. And she didn’t sugarcoat the risks.
But she listened and understood. Empathizing made all the difference. Instead of blaming ourselves (or anyone else) and being paralyzed by fear, we went into surgery knowing we weren’t alone.
Her empathy helped give us courage to face our fears.
