The Best Decision Ive Ever Made

The decision to become a doctor and study really hard for it took a while to get used to, but I finally did it. I decided that it was also time to draw a closer relationship with God. Baptized at the age of twelve, my vision on the world became clearer and that’s when I understood why things happened the way they did – why I came to America, why I met certain people, and why it happened at that time. All these questions were finally answered by God, who spoke through other people at school, church and even my home. I finally understood why the Indian people living in Greenwood helped us the way they did; they put themselves in our shoes and realized that they had gone through the same experience. From these experiences, God has helped me understand the importance of these small parts of life that I didn’t use to think about before. The big change finally made sense! It all happened for a reason – a reason that has impacted me for the rest of my life. The transition to my new life has changed the way I think about myself, act toward other people, and understand God’s will for my life. The decision to come to America was a decision that we will never regret making. - See more at:

in life. Choosing to join the U.S. Army and dive into the medical field was something

I vividly remember that chilly night in March as I walked out of Fifer, the building my father now calls home, for the first time. I had goosebumps, but they were not from the cold I felt hit my skin. Instead, they were from the sickness in my stomach. As I got in the car, I began to cry and had to stop myself from running back inside. My entire world had turned upside-down. How could I go home without my father? How could I leave him in a nursing home, a place where he was too young and mentally fit to be confined? I had to fight the feeling that he didn’t belong. I had to remind myself of why he chose to be there, and I hated it.

This experience has matured me and to not take any relationships or people for granted. When I went to the hospital that he was at and I saw him lying in the bed I wanted to ask a million questions but all I said was “Do you know what happened to you?” and he simply replied with “yes, I had a seizure.” It baffled me how a ten year old knew that he was having a seizure. He said that at first he thought he wasn’t having a seizure and he thought that the couch was trying to eat him. Before he had the seizure I thought that he was just this annoying kid that just so happened to be related to me, regardless of that I still loved him, but I think that having this experience has made me view life and how people are in a completely

Every day we all make decisions that have lasting implications. Sometimes those decisions are harder to make than others and require some time to think about the results. Many times we end up making a decision that has bad results and other times the decision we make produces excellent results. Throughout my time in high school, I have made many tough decisions and sometimes the choice paid off. One of the choices that I made towards the end of the tenth grade was applying for an officer position in the healthcare club HOSA.

“Right this way,” the nurse ahead of me was prompting me to a brightly lit hall that was completely foreign to me. I couldn’t help but be terrified by the sights and sounds around me: people chattering, machines methodically beeping, gurneys rushing past. It was my first time in a hospital and my eyes frantically searched each room looking for any trace of my father. She stopped suddenly and I turned to the bed in front of me but I could not comprehend what I saw. At such a young age, I idolized my father; I had never seen him so vulnerable. Seeing him laying in a hospital bed unconscious, surrounded by wires and tubes was like witnessing Superman encounter kryptonite. My dad’s car accident not only made him a quadriplegic, but also crippled

My siblings are typically very helpful individuals, but on this special occasion my little five-year-old self was left to figure things out on her own. Through this I also learned that young kids don’t make the best of choices. Childhood decisions and experiences can stick with you for a long time alongside the lessons that you learned through these experiences. I offer insight into just a short example, but it has literally stayed with me,

As you can see, choices help determine our future; the better choices you make, the better your life will be. In real life, you can make a difference in someone else’s life by helping them make better choices. And even if the choice is gummy bears or chocolate, I know that you will make the better

September 15 was a day I won’t forget I was scared for my friend Donavin he was 13 and had to get surgery on his neck, he had a 50% of making it through the surgery. I sat in the waiting room for what seemed like days, I ended up sleeping on the floor of the waiting room to get good or bad news. It was 5:00 pm when the nurse can in I got out of my seat as my sister held my hand tight. “He made it through the surgery would you like to see him” the nurse said. Without saying anything to the nurse, I ran to the room and opened the door with tears, my eyes waiting to see his face. I walked over and saw him sleeping, I layed next to him and hugged him like I have not seen him in forever, I was glad to see him doing well. By wanting to stay with a friend in the hospital, I was showing that I cared for that person. The characters of Sandra from “Geraldo no last name” and Liesel from the book thief showed that they care about people they don’t know.

I just cried. I didn't know if he was ok or if he was dead/alive. I hadn't heard from him ever since he was gone.

“One more bite Ethan”, I said armed with a toy truck, as I was attempting to feed his frail, cold, and hairless little body who’s eyes were full of life. Ethan was my friend, I came to visit him every Friday hopefully at his home but commonly at the hospital. “It’s almost over Ethan, you will soon stop hurting my little sunshine” I said to him, as I hugged his skeletal body. He looked up to me and without a sound he made perfect sense. That Sunday morning will forever be inked in my heart, that was the last day I saw my four year old friend, but the

There’s always a point in our lives where we are faced with a decision to make. Sometimes we make the right one, sometimes we make the wrong. Either way, these difficult decisions have some kind of impact on us; some good, some bad. In this cluster, authors recall tough decisions they’ve had to make; sometimes it’s the right, and sometimes the wrong. These essays talk about the impact these decisions have had on them for the rest of their life, and what it changed for the good.

“My grandpa has stage 3 leukemia and it’s progressing very fast.” I had never seen her so down and upset. Casey’s grandpa was the one who taught her the majority of what she knows about bass fishing. They were very close and fished together all the time. This was going to be where her life changed. Casey was a strong girl, she had been through a divorce with her parents. I knew that she could get get through this but it was going to be hard.

It began with a disgruntled older patient who had gotten a hip replacement. Ornery, and at times downright nasty, he was not a pleasure to work with. He was negative, cynical and didn’t believe we were there to help him. One day, in an attempt to rescue a new aide from one of his tirades, I decided to make it my goal to break through his pessimistic demeanor. Despite his disposition, I always greeted him with a warm smile, and made every effort I could to connect with him. It was difficult at first, and at times I was just as frustrated as he was. But I remembered my days of running-— persevering through injuries, having patience with my progress-— and knew it would be worth it. I continued my positive encouragement and slowly but surely Joseph came around. I learned that he used to be a stellar fútbol player in his native Portugal, until the untimely death of his single mother placed him in charge of three younger siblings. I learned that he speaks four languages, saw three wars, and has one championship Ballroom Dancers Federation Trophy. I learned that he met his late wife at a dance club on Coney Island 53 years ago and still misses her ten years after her death.

After seeing several patients the team finally went in to see my eighty-three year old female who was in the hospital after suffering an ischemic stroke. As always I went in prepared: I had read about ischemic strokes, brushed up on my pathophysiology and was ready to make suggestions about what further work-up would be necessary! Our team, which was made up of a pharmacist, social worker, two geriatric fellows, and an attending geriatrician, all filed into the room as we did every day for rounds. However, instead of talking about the tests that we would run today and the lab results that had returned this morning, we all looked at each other and began to sing “Happy Birthday.” The patient’s face lit up and I remember feeling this overwhelming sense of happiness. Yes, I had arrived at the hospital before the sun was up, and tucked in my white coat was my perfectly crafted plan, which I was prepared to recite chapter and verse, but instead there we were a team of healthcare professionals, all singing. As I stood there singing I looked around the room and I was overcome with relief; because in that moment I knew these were the type of people I wanted to sit with at the lunch