Embracing Difference Continues

It's funny how things work out sometimes. Today, as a med student, I had my first contact with an HIV positive patient.

He is 42 years old, infected at age 30. Of course he knows a lot more about the illness than I do. It's amazing the effort that doctors, nurses and other clinical staff make to educate patients, and their efficiency is just flagrant! Also the effort of understanding their own condition by the patients, and wanting to live the best life that they can, and being commited to following directions from doctors, handing to them one of their most precious assets (health) is just admirable. Amen to both of them!

At first, I won't deny it, I felt a little uneasy and unsafe. Even being an educated young man didn't stop me from having a lot of prejudice, and I am secretly apologizing for what I earlier today secretly felt. Even with all the knowledge that I have been given (that sometimes feels like so much and other times like so little) I couldn't help myself. But after a while, and after seeing how specialists behave (shake this person's hand, one of the doctors even gave him a hug as goodbye - she has been taking care of this patient since his diagnosis), my body language started to change, reflecting my ideas doing the same, and as I said yesterday, I am now proud and thankful that I got to experience difference and instead of dismissing it as reproachful I accepted it, because I (slightly) understood the pain and suffering this man has to endure (even though the medication is today very effective), and I realized that we are all equaly worthy of dignity, but most of all, equally worthy of being loved.

As I said, it's funny how things work out sometimes. Yesterday I wrote something, I challenged myself, and today I was put to the test.

So, can I walk the talk? Practice the preach? So far so good! I just wish I could do it at all times and forever.

This blog is starting to get some visits (thank you so much!), and I would really love for it to become a "conversation station". No hate, just different points of view. So feel free to comment or to e-mail  me (lsbpt89@gmail.com) if you don't want your comment to be public, I will answer every comment or e-mail.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed and come back.

Peace,

D.