When my patient is dying, I am affected for weeks to months. I cried when my patient facetimed her adult son who is running to get on the next flight and let him know that she is not going to make it. Sometimes I am more emotionally exhausted after work than anything. I wont look up anyone's facebook, but I like listening to the family member tell me about the patient, how many kids and grandkids they have, what they did, and all the good memories that the had.

Those damn onions...

To the people mad at the doctor for blaming the patient... that's exactly what he's trying not to do. He probably knows roughly what happened to bring them to his surgery, and in cases where they did make a dumb mistake (as we all do) he intentionally takes a step back and reminds himself that they were human and it was just a dumb mistake.

I swear to god, this broke my heart... My best friend's brother died in the ER last month and it broke her. I'm sitting here sobbing to myself and wondering how strong of a person you must be to endure telling someone their loved one has died and not breaking down. You are a treasure of a person and you must be protected at all costs. F**k them onion cutting ninjas.

It is a horrible thing as a hospital employee to be witnesd to. Im at the front er desk, when the mom and dad comd in and ask which bed their child is in... To see their faces when they realise their child is dead. The wailing.....to see brothers and sisters break down as the reality starts to set in, the geavity of the situation. I still see certain patients faces, they haunt me. There are some events you just cant forget or unsee. Some are people doing drugs for the first time and its laced and they die. Other times someone was texting while driving and kill someone else and their baby, suicides... If only the people doing these things could see how their actions affect many around them afterwards for years and years after, just maybe they would choose differently

A different angle on this, I have an acquaintance who learned her son had been murdered during the night when she logged on to Facebook and one of HIS friends had rushed there to leave a tribute. After a few minutes frantically hoping it was a joke and texting him without answer, the police arrived at her door. She now makes it part of her mission to urge people NOT to rush to Facebook with news like this when it's possible the victim's family hasn't even been notified.

As a funeral director, I actually have to refrain from doing that. I did a few times and it f***** me up too hard. There's nothing more I can do for those people. There's no need for me to carry it home with me for weeks on end.

The doctor blames all the deceased for their death. Surely he must have seen people who were killed by wreckless drivers, psychopathic murders or who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sending out a message to think before you act is ok, but blaming everyone who dies for being inconsiderate towards their loved ones is just being jerk.

HE left out the part about WHY you didn't get vaccinated. Not just the accidents or drug overdoses. AND he did leave out one other thing. NOT THEIR FAULT. Some drunk hit them. They were in the crossfire of a gang fight, the car jumped the curb and hit them. SO many reasons it is not their fault. I get he is trying to send a message to those WHO PUT THEMSELVES in that drunk driving, shooting up too much etc. but don't forget the idiots who refused to get vaccinated as well.

My family is the only thing keeping me on this Earth. I can't do that to them but, I pray for death every day

You are not selfish and weak, it's human to have those instincts. I'm on psic treatment, due to cancer because depression and suicidal thoughts often belong to this illness, therefore I can understand your feelings. I hope you can find help and a reason for life, wish you all the best.

I also wanted to be a doctor (or a veterinarian) but I always knew inside of me that I was mentally too weak for it. I don't have what it takes to bear bad news to someone about their loved one be it their son or their cat... I have so much respect for all medical professionals, it's a difficult job.

This had me crying big time. I was against the banning of 13 Reasons Why, as well. People were saying it might trigger people. I say it didn't glorify death. It showed the destruction and devastation to everyone after the person is dead. It showed all the misunderstandings that could have been solved through communication, the temporary feelings of depression and angst that could have been fixed through therapy or medication, and it shows how horrible it is to be selfish enough to take your life over something that would have passed eventually and leave behind people that will forever doubt and second guess themselves and who will forever look upon your memories as tainted. I am going to show this to my 13 year old daughter. I think it should be required reading in grade schools.

Ive nearly does a few times in hospital and know the female medical staff well, one of those said they do the same and that she wouldn't have to do that with now as she knows me so well. But also because she knows me so well she hopes even more that she never has to have the talk with them!

Please don't forget the siblings... Everyone else does. 😪

The title of this article is highly misleading. I thought the doctor thought EVERY patient was reckless...

Good idea, even if he'd find nothing about me.

Dear Doctor who decides to shame people who are suicidal - eff you, you have no idea how it is.

Creepy.

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I check Tinder

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

This whole story smells of horse hockey. First off, there isn't a Dr. Profeta listed on St. Vincents Staff Registry. Second, I don't know of a ER Doc that would EVER spend that much time - other patients are dying and he's playing with his iPhone looking at Facebook pages, and third, it just doesn't happen - from your first day at med school you're trained to distant yourself from your patients so that you can focus on the medicine and not the emotions. You're taught never to get to close because then the deaths, the tragedies, the bad things happening to good people just get way to close for you to do your job the way you need to. So yeah, I'm guessing another fictional piece here on BP.

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

This reads like a Facebook ad. And I say that because it’s pretty compelling. Almost makes you want to open a Facebook account. Almost.