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My VIP patients often regret so many things on their deathbeds. They regret the bitterness they’ll leave in people’s hearts.

Abraham Verghese

When I use the word ‘healing’, by that I mean that every disease has a physical element that we’re very good at handling, but there’s always a sense of the violation. ‘Why me?’ ‘
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Disease Element Good Handling Healing Job Mean Physical Spiritual
The flip side of suicide is that it leaves a lingering question in the minds of the people who survived. Its like a cancer thats metastasized. The suicide is the cancer and the metastasis is all these people saying, Why? Why? Why?
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Cancer Flip Leave Mind People Side Suicide
I have been the apprentice, paid my dues, and have just become master of my ship. But when I look down, why do I see the ancient, tarred, mud-stained slippers that I buried at the start of the journey still stuck to my feet?
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Ancient Apprentice Become Down Due Look Master Paid Ship
The bottom line: health care reform is about the patient, not about the physician.
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Bottom Care Health Line Patient Physician Reform
Still, it’s an apt metaphor for our profession. But there’s another kind of hole, and that is the wound that divides family.
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Apt Divide Family Hole Kind Metaphor Profession Still
She died chasing greatness and never saw it each time it was in her hand, so she kept seeking it elsewhere, but never understood the work required to get it or to keep it.
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Chasing Died Each Elsewhere Greatness Hand never Saw Seeking Time
We come unbidden into this life, and if we are lucky we find a purpose beyond starvation, misery, and early death which, lest we forget, is the common lot.
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Beyond Common Death Early Lucky Purpose Unbidden
God will judge us, Mr. Harris, by–by what we did to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings. I don’t think God cares what doctrine we embrace.
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Care God Human Being Judge Judging Relieve Suffering Thinking
We are all fixing what is broken. It is the task of a lifetime. We’ll leave much unfinished for the next generation.
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Broken Fixing Generations Next Unfinished
The crookedness of the serpent is still straight enough to slide through the snake hole.
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Crookedness Enough Serpent Slide Snake
He had so many ways of climbing into the tree house in his head, escaping the madness below, and pulling the ladder up behind him.
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Climbing Escaping House Ladder Many Pulling Tree Way
I’ve always wanted to write a book like that, with the sense that you are contributing to the discourse in middle America,
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Always Book Contributing Country Middle Sense Wanted Write
A discourse that begins at a book club in a living room, but then spreads. That is meaningful to me.
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Begin Boo Club Discourse Living Meaningful Room Spread
We’re losing a ritual. We’re losing a ritual that I believe is transformative, transcendent, and is at the heart of the patient-physician relationship.
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Believe Herat Inspiration Motivation Patient Transcendent
My intent wasn’t to save the world as much as to heal myself. Few doctors will admit this, certainly not young ones, but subconsciously, in entering the profession
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Admit Certainly Doctor Intent Myself One Subconsciously World Young
This is my life, I thought…I have excised the cancer from my past, cut it out; I have crossed the high plains, descended into the desert, traversed oceans, and planted my feet in new soil
ABRAHAM VERGHESE

Cancer Crossed Cut Cutting Dessented Excised High Ocean Past Plain Plan

My VIP patients often regret so many things on their deathbeds. They regret the bitterness they’ll leave in people’s hearts.

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My VIP patients often regret so many things on their deathbeds. They regret the bitterness they’ll leave in people’s hearts.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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