Synchronicity

Life is full of little coincidences that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up for a moment, but once in a while whopping great monster chunks of synchronicity can knock you dizzy. Here follows one such story.

Mr & Mrs A have been patients since I joined the practice umpteen years ago. As is the way of such things I got to know Mrs A reasonably well as she attended over the years with her high blood pressure, but Mr A, being employed, attended far less often. Some time ago Mrs A injured a leg and required orthopaedic attention and Mr A was then drafted in to provide the necessary taxi service for his wife to make appointments. In observing them throughout this time, and on those odd occasions before when they had attended together it was clear that they had a very close, even a devoted relationship, and both seemed very happy even in occasional adversity.

Mrs A was in the habit of bringing in poems, quotations and other snippets, reflecting the couple's very positive approach to life for my appreciation. Seeing either of their names in a surgery helped to brighten even the dullest day.

Around three years ago Mr A attended to request a blood test. Retirement was looming and he wanted a "check up", particularly of his prostate, since he was having very slight symptoms of Prostatic Hypertrophy. I also suspect he had been sent in to request the test by Mrs A. To our mutual surprise his PSA was returned very elevated, and after a short course of further investigations Cancer was diagnosed.

This is not a bleak a finding as might be imagined, since even inoperable cancers of the prostate can be very successfully controlled using hormonal treatments, and so it proved for Mr A. Three years in his PSA levels had fallen back into the normal range, he had no symptoms, and was in effect entirely well. The least time I saw him I was teaching a medical student, and we were greetd with a consultation for both Mr and Mrs, who were planning a trip away soon, and so were attending a little early for Mr A's hormone analogue injection. Mrs A proffered another print out for me to read later, and after a cheerful consulation they departed for their trip. I put the print out to one side and carried on teaching and consulting, meaning to get back to it later.

A week on I had a call from Mrs A telling me her husband had collapsed the day before and was now hospitalised near to where they were staying. He had fallen and sustained a head injury. The Doctors at the hospital told her he was unlikley to recover. A day or two later came the fax from the hospital confirming that Mr A had passed away.

Later that day I came across the print out they had brought in a few weeks before. It contained the following poem:

SAYING GOODBYE ( A Tribute Poem to those who were lost)
Yesterday was just a normal day...
You smiled... said "I love you" and said goodbye...
Told me to remember to pick up milk.....
And said you would see me tonight....
Well yesterday has come and gone
and many things have changed...
For ever since 9/11/01 my life has been rearranged...
No more smiles...
no more kisses good bye.....
No more "I love you's" as you walk out the door...
Now I see your face only in my dreams....
And know you are gone forevermore...
I love you, I miss you and my heart still breaks....
But I know that one day in heaven....
We will smile and say I love you and look into each others eyes..

Coincidence?

Let me know what you think.