06/11/2026
Last year, I had a patient, who was very severely ill, beg to leave the hospital so he could go and take care of his dog.
I asked, “Sir, if you d!3d who would take care of the dog?”
He shrugged.
I said, “Sir, this is a matter of life and d3a7h if you leave this hospital you may d!3...”
I was perplexed. Of course I didn’t want the dog to be alone, but I also felt this man was being unrealistic. Then he told me:
“I love my dog.”
To which tasked, “but do you love
yourself enough to be healthy enough to be there for your dog?”
This was the first time he considered this. All these years he was putting his dog first, he never understood that the effort he put into keeping his dog healthy was missing in his own self care.
The sad thing is that this ideology is very common. I see some forms of it every day, it may be pets... or children... cars... homes, jobs, friends, relationships, ideals, perfectionism, image, titles....
What are we putting on a pedestal at the sake of our own health? Can it be traced to some form of self-denial and hurt or trauma? Why is it we are capable of taking care of THINGS but can’t take care OURSELVES?
What do you think?