seraina

When Seraina was a child she would use the ironing board as an examination table and play doctor. Today she’s a physician of internal medicine and is currently doing a rotation in anaesthesiology. She told me a story from her residency when she was working in the geriatrics department: Seraina consulted an elderly woman who had a lung infection. The woman let Seraina know that she’s been waiting for twenty years to be reunited with her husband and she would prefer to let the infection take its course. The experience had a profound effect on how Seraina has come to understand what it means to serve the best interest of the patient.

The human body has always fascinated Seraina. She grew up playing sports and enjoys competition. Seraina’s mother, who is also a physician, was the first person to introduce her to Crossfit. Over the years she has made close friends in the sport and smashed through her perceptions of what her body can do. Seraina loves going to the box early in the morning when the sun floods through the glass on the large industrial east-facing doors, and she can choose the music freely and get lost in the zone.

Like many of us, Seraina has struggled with how her body looks at different stages in her life. She used to think that when people looked at her they were probably thinking that her legs were too large or her this was too that. Now when people look at her she assumes that they are appreciating her muscles and if they aren’t it doesn’t matter. She is grateful for the adversity that brought her to this point and she is proud of what her body is capable of.

[32] Sunday, June 13, 2021