Lift for Patients

Whatever your patient replies,

no matter how vague and unclear his replies seem to you,

those could be the gates to his inner world.

Often, very often, a good question

is your only instrument,

try to understand this!

And remember,

don't boast your intelligence with your questions.

Hide your personality behind your questions.

Try to suppress your personal emotions.

And ask about small, insignificant things,

which can disclose a lot about your patients.

I'm more interested in the answers.

I want to grasp the answer, to comprehend it, to decode it.

Can you read like that?

No.

No, right?

-Now I can. -Why can you?

-Because there is distance. -Look…

Don't see yourselves as saviours,

because there is just one Saviour.

You should be witnesses.

And good witnesses, too.

It's the only way you can help.

May I ask something else?

Go on.

A while ago you said that it's most important

to try and suppress our personal emotions.

Yes.

Can you explain how to do that?

No.

And I doubt that anyone could.

Now off you go!

INVENTORY OF EMOTIONS

Talent?

What is talent?

Well, this is talent: not to be alone.

To live with people.

Whatever the circumstances may be.

I don't know, should I be telling you this…

My grandfather worked on the railroad tracks,

my father was head of traffic control,

he gave me my ticket and I went--

Where? On the train, of course!

To travel!

And I travelled!

The tracks were laid for me. Where to?

To where people are! To be among them, yes.

It may sound weird to you,

but I was born on a train station!

See?

He-e-e-y! The railway!

It's a world of its own! A perpetual new beginning.

People, crowds, hubbub!

And you know, people really dressed up!

In those days… how shall I put it?

You also dress up, but your destinations are different.

People stepped on the platform only in their best!

Them women in jerseys!

The men in gabardine…

As if they were… going somewhere special!

Almost like going to a wedding! Every travel was a new beginning!

The compartments, all that luggage!

But it's gone… Let's not get sad now.

Now I'm here, I'm in a place…

It's also a station, sort of, lots of people gather…

Young people, old people…

They wait there, watching each other.

They are concerned… worried.

We're here one day, but what about tomorrow?

This life is over…

But we shouldn't worry! Someone else is taking care!

But you should know …

We are planted to give fruit!

That's how I see it.

LIFT FOR PATIENTS

Hi, Petko!

Good morning!

Doctor Paskalev! There's a parcel for you.

What is it?

I don't know. A qualification workshop, or what?

-Thanks. -See my workshop here?

I've got seedlings here,

but they fell down, then the phone fell down…

It's not a place for seedlings here!

How many kilometres did you run this morning?

Eight kilometres, to Dragalevtsi and back.

Well, well, well! I felt it down here!

I did!

-I do feel things, don't I? -You do.

I said it will rain and the wind came.

This man, I thought…

Listen, it's you who brought the wind?

It will rain, but the sun will come back again, don't you worry!

…his state is critical…

Good day!

Who spoiled your day, Doctor Nikiforova?

This morning everyone seems…

When I got accepted in the Institute and at once, too,

and in such a desired specialty as architecture.

My post-graduation in Paris, my marriage,

to such a brilliant, stable person, as my husband is.

The moment when I realised I'm pregnant.

Giving birth to my son.

I remember moments of infatuation.

Yes!

I have experienced the joy of knowing love.

I am loved.

I know how it feels.

That's happiness.

What kind of music I like?

You will be surprised.

I listen to music a lot, but my favourite is flamenco.

That's my music.

Excuse me, I've got a client. I'll be back soon.

Doc!

Hello, doc.

Why don't you use the lift for patients, why do you ask for trouble?

Never mind.

I wanted to tell you that Angela can't sleep at all.

Fifth night she stands by the window and stares.

Please, help her.

I can't do anything, she doesn't speak to me.

That's not true, she's just pretending.

When people are scared,

they say things, but they think different.

She thinks that being stubborn will drive away misfortune…

She's strong, she'll manage. She's got a son, hasn't she?

Yes, Bozhidar, gift from God, comes to see her every day at four.

Such a nice kid.

You will help her, doctor, won't you?

You're a kind person, but…

Please!

Please!

Good, thank you.

And how are you?

I'm well.

This is Yana, doc, I told you about her.

Can she take her internship with you?

Good morning, Emil.

Good morning.

-Nice to meet you, Yana. -Hello, doctor Paskalev.

Of course she can, I told you already…

You've brought a guitar? Will we party here or what?

No, I've got a rehearsal tonight.

Alright, take a seat.

Are these from the test with the kids?

Yes, but don't touch anything. Take a seat.

Today I will demonstrate to you two cases.

First we have Boyan Konstantinova, 20 years.

A suicide attempt two weeks ago,

the second one in these past months.

Self-injury, he slit his wrists.

Severe post-traumatic depression, totally unresponsive.

Second case: Angela Salcheva,

she works as welder in a tram depot, there was an incident, she broke a… leg.

While doing the routine tests,

they found a malignant disease of the bones.

She accepted her diagnosis very calmly.

But as we know, this is a reaction to extreme stress.

I've told you about the stages of reaction to stress.

How many were there?

-Five. -Five stages.

-Denial, depre… aggression… -No, it's not depression.

Denial, aggression…

bargain, depression and recognition.

These are the five.

I had a very interesting conversation with her.

It was clear that she desperately wants to live.

She focused her denial on me

and I became the symbol of the enemy, of evil.

You'll often be "the enemy" in your future work.

Today I heard that she suffers from insomnia.

Classical symptom of depression.

Okay, so she is in stage four, but what about the boy?

You can ask your questions later. Let's go now.

And take off these gowns.

-Good morning. -Good morning.

-Good morning. -Come in.

Mrs. Konstantinova, may I speak with you outside.

These young colleagues will stay with Boyan.

Hi, Boyan, we are Yana and Emil.

It's our first day of internship, we are still students.

We'd like to ask you some questions

and may I ask you to reply spontaneously, if possible.

How old are you?

Since when are you in this hospital?

Which day of the week is today?

Are you finished with your questions or have you got more?

Alright, let's see you.

We are…

Emil and Yana…

She wants to ask you questions, I don't.

You won't introduce yourself…

When Boyan was little, 1st or 2nd grade,

I was in serious trouble,

and I was going through a difficult moment.

I thought no one could guess, that I had concealed it.

One evening, we were watching TV and he cuddled next to me,

hugged me and said: