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Without Words

I knocked on the door, knowing that it didn't really matter and that I would have to enter with leaving my words behind. She was one of my patients I have seen over the years. She and her family were all totally deaf. For me, it had always been a challenge to communicate in a meaningful way. In former days, I would find myself frustrated with lack of time to adequately meet her needs. It always seemed that the neediest person was jammed into the busiest part of your schedule. But today was different, I was going to do my best to let her know her results.
We greeted one another with smiles and handshakes. I sat down and began to write out the details of all her reports. We feverishly wrote back and forth, and in between my scrolling and notes, her daughter would sign back to her. It was an interview of silence, yet there was so much being said. I looked to her face, I looked to her gestures, was she truly understanding what I had been saying? And then it happened, I caught her nod of affirmation. I heard her "voice" and she heard mine. I sat and watched as she and her daughter decidedly signed about what now she should do. I heard her enthusiasm in wanting to make a healthier choice. I matched her response with as much written material to encourage her plans for her change. There were no more questions at the end; she left with encouragement and peace, and I left with satisfaction for using wordless time so well.

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