(talking to Richard and Catherine) What is the matter with you two? My husband is dead. Yeah, I'm gonna play that card. You (Richard). You walked away from Ellis, never got to be with her, and now she's dead. Adele is dead. And you (Catherine)... I don't know who's dead for you. But the both of you are very, very much alive and breathing and driving each other crazy. And you yell and argue and fight, and you both should be thrilled to be able to do those things. I would give anything to be able to do those things. And none of those things are reason enough to not be with the person that you love, especially when there just isn't enough. There will never be enough time. And you both know that. So whatever it is that that's coming between you two, will you just please figure it out? Figure it out.
[ending voice over] You can build a house out of anything, make it as strong as you want, but a home, a home is more fragile than that. A home is made of the people you fill it with and people can be broken, sure, but any surgeon knows what's broken can be mended, what's hurt can be healed, that no matter how dark it gets, the sun's gonna rise again.
[opening voice-over] So you might be thinking, I’ve been here before. This is familiar. This is old hat. Maybe you’re wondering why we are here. But I promise, you are about to find out that everything has changed.
[closing voice-over] I want you to stop and take a closer look at the body in front of you. There's nothing special about it. It's just a body. So why are you here? What's so different? What's changed? My answer is you. The thing's that changed is you. I want you to throw everything you think you know about anatomy out the window and look at this cadaver like you've never seen a human body before. Now pick up your scalpels, place them below the xiphoid process, press firmly, no regrets, and let's begin.
[opening voice-over] The body has approximately eleven organ systems, all doing different things at the same time. In order to keep us functioning, or, well, alive, they need one voice, a leader, a master. And in our brains, that job belongs to the pituitary gland. It senses the body's needs before they even arise, working non-stop. The pituitary gland communicates with all of the other glands, telling them when to produce the vital hormones we need to function. It keeps everything running smoothly, in perfect order. There's no denying it. It has the toughest job in the place.
[closing voice-over] Without a strong leader, the whole machine's out of whack. But it's pretty simple if the brain's working, the body will listen. Your limbs want to hold you up. Your lungs want to breathe. Your heart wants to beat. But none of them are any good without the brain. The brain keeps everything all together. Like a boss.
[opening voice-over] The body is a bundle of possibility. Every time we cut one open, we're faced with a series of decisions. Some choices are made for you. But for the most part, surgery is a choose your own adventure.
[closing voice-over] When you're faced with the tough choices, it comes down to you. What can you live with? What can you leave behind? Right or wrong, you have to decide what you're willing to go down fighting for. The choice is yours.
[to the interns] When you walk into a room to tell someone that their loved one has died, it's more than just a list of bullet points you've memorized. Yours is the face they will remember for the rest of their life. They were fine before they met you. They picked up their children from school, they made dinner, and they got a call. The police showed up at their door and brought them here with those children to this room so that you can give them the worst news of their entire life. You are changing this person's life forever. You are responsible for this moment. For the instant that person goes from wife to widow is you. All you. Nobody but you. So, this person isn't an inconvenience. They are not a box on a list to be checked off. You are a part of their life now. Your words, your face. So take that seriously and recognize the importance of your role. And respect the fact that that person's pain is the biggest thing in the room.
[closing voice-over] There are some things in life that simply can't be avoided, no matter how uncomfortable they make us and there can't be rewards in stepping outside your comfort zone. Even when the thought of it makes us want to puke. Even when we want nothing more than to run screaming for the hills. That's why people love to say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. But sometimes, those people don't know what the hell they're talking about.
[opening voice-over] According to this man's family, he was not a smoker, but the truth is he smoked two packs a day, in his car for twenty years, while his wife and children slept. Sometimes, the patient's shame is the elephant in the room. They try to hide it from us, but you can't hide from a surgeon because the body doesn't lie. The truth is right here for everyone to see and it doesn't need to say a single word.
[closing voice-over] They say shame controls every aspect of human behavior. It's about who we believe we are. But in the end, you can't hide, and the body doesn't lie. The truth is right there for the world to see. Our shame can choke us. Kill us. Can rot us from the inside, if we decide to let it. Don't let that happen to you.
[opening voice-over] Every surgeon is trained to look for problems. To look at a person and say: "What's wrong with you?" We're trained to foresee the ugliest possible outcome. When your job is to make people better, you're automatically inclined to look for the worst in them.
[closing voice-over] It's hard to fight against certain biases. It's important to keep an open mind. It's how we learn. It's how we grow. It's how we move forward. Until we don't. Until we let our bias take over. Until we succumb to what feels right, or good, or satisfying in that moment, because even then, deep down inside, we usually know we're going to regret it.
[opening voice-over] They say you fight fire with fire. We do it in medicine all the time. We cut you to repair your injury. We hurt you to heal you. We stoke the flames, but playing with fire is a dangerous thing.
Grey's Anatomy · 1,393 quotes
Meredith
