Student Life: In Caring for Family over the Holiday Break, College of Human Medicine Student is Reminded of an Important Lesson, Experiences Family Traditions with a Twist

Contributed by Christi Boze, MCE Student at the College of Human Medicine

Like many families of all backgrounds, my own has Christmas traditions. These include our Christmas eve carpet picnic, unboxing a new board game, and watching Die Hard. However, this year was a little bit different. 

For context, my grandpa has had an abdominal aortic aneurysm for the past several years now. After the aneurysm had reached a certain size and once it was safe again to be back in the hospital, the time arrived for grandpa’s surgery. 

The surgery was supposed to last an hour and my grandpa was supposed to leave the next day. Unfortunately, this did not go as planned. Instead, the surgery lasted for more than three hours and he presented with post-surgical complications, landing him with a longer hospital stay. 

This is where I come in! 

I was sitting at home (the first Saturday of winter break, I might add) probably munching on Twizzlers and watching a movie when I received a phone call from my mom. She asked if I would be willing to fly down to Florida to look after my grandma while my grandpa was still in the hospital. In a matter of minutes, I booked my flight, packed my bags, and drove to the airport. 

I haven’t seen my grandparents in years, so you can imagine her excitement when I woke my grandma up at 4am to go to the bathroom that morning. In the days following, I stuck to my grandpa’s neatly written-out instructions regarding my grandma’s routine. 

I made sure to help her with her exercises in the morning, checked her blood sugar before and after meals, and reminded her that it was too early to eat ice cream when she asked for it in the morning. 

Knowing that this was the longest my grandparents had been apart from each other, I wanted to cheer my grandma up. I took my grandma on a ride through the community so she could see the Christmas lights on her neighbors’ homes. We watched some of her favorite classic holiday movies, like "Home Alone," and "A Christmas Carol." I swapped out the board game  I bought this year, Betrayal at House on the Hill, to play dominoes with my grandma. 

In a way, I was still able to continue the Boze family holiday tradition. I was able to play games, watch holiday movies, and spend the holidays with someone I love dearly. While it was not the Christmas break I intended, it was a nice reminder of how lucky I am to have my grandparents. 

If medical school has taught me anything, it’s the importance of cherishing the moments you do have with your family over the holidays.

 

Hi, I'm Christi! I grew up in rural southwest Michigan with two siblings. Upon graduating from Grand Valley State University, I took a couple of gap years before medical school and am now a second year student at the College of Human Medicine. During my gap years I worked as a pharmaceutical technician for Perrigo and as a prosectionist in the MSU College of Human Medicine anatomy department. When I am not studying, I enjoy anything outdoors, such as hiking, skiing, and soccer. I am an avid baker and enjoy listening to mystery podcasts.

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