On my first day back to work from maternity leave, Mrs. Gabriella was waiting patiently in my office. Her face lit up with jubilation as she said: “Congratulations! What is the baby’s name?” “Gabriella,” I replied. Immediately, tears flowed and tarnished her perfectly done makeup. “Dr. Takeshige, I am so touched that you named your daughter after me.” I was speechless. Words were at the tip of my tongue to debate, but I could not utter them. I meant to tell her that it was a coincidence but thought better of it. “Gabriella” was picked out of a book and means “God’s grace.”7
I remember vividly when I met Mrs. Gabriella for the first time; she had a courteous melancholy air surrounding her. She escaped Europe during World War II after losing family members during the Holocaust. Consequently, she was plagued with nightmares from the escape and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) led to dependence on anxiolytics. There were other misfortunes she endured.
Her first husband was a domestic abuser. She had 2 children affected by medical illness. As a single parent, Mrs. Gabriella met her second husband, Fred, who showed her the meaning of love. The world was no longer black and white. Color breathed into her life and replaced tears with laughter. But after a brief 5 years of marriage, Fred died. This unexpected tragedy hit her hard and caused her to defensively retract within herself.
Mrs. Gabriella’s medical diagnoses included diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and poststress traumatic disorder. During her visits, she routinely lamented, “when will the merciful God come and take me instead of leaving me alone to suffer.” Gently, I discussed depression with her. My suggestions for various interventions were quickly dismissed. Unfortunately, although Mrs. Gabriella’s life was already troubled, she developed an acute stroke.
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-Matsuko Takeshige, DO, FACP, Takeko Takeshige, DO, FACOG, Umeko Takeshige, MD
