Personal Reflective Essay: A Patient Pat

A Patient Patient

I was once a patient patient.

I was a patient of precocious puberty, a disorder that may impose some health risks and harmful effects on children’s potential height.

And I was also patient with one’s indifference. The main treatment of my abnormality was an injection to suppress my growth hormones. I had to suffer from the intermittent muscle paralysis and the high fever immediately after the injection. Then, I went to the examination room to measure my body index, check my blood state, and take a sonogram of my uterus. This routine was repeated every month for about three years.

But what really distressed me was Dr. Seo. He never smiled at me, though I wanted a piece of appreciation. During all those years, even until the last meeting, he could not recall my name without peeking through my test charts. Every time when

But I smiled, until I stormed out of his office.

What I earned from that hospital was not just countless bills from routine injections; I learned a life lesson that to win, I must be patient. What I won was my true archenemy, my disorder, not some apathetic old doctor who only knew how to judge whether each kid is positive or negative. I was misunderstanding what I was fighting for.

During my silent war, I smiled to swallow the pain. My laugh did not only improve my reputation among the hospital staff, but also soothed my parents’ concerns. They probably knew that the medical process would be painful for me, but all I could do was to smile, so I laughed at witty jokes some nurses made as if I was enjoying the procedure. In the end, I came to enjoy going to hospital because friendly nurses gave me chocolates and I could spend the whole day with my busy mother. This routine continued three years: three years of pain and three years of smile.

Unfortunately, the doctor never smiled. But who cares?

I was the one who smiled at last.

I overcame that relentless pain, knocked over my limitation, and conquered my