of late, i have been finding myself doing a lot more queueing, and waiting to get some medical attention or medical service done. and it just struck me how appropriate the word patient is.
as mr. webster has it, the word is derived from the Latin pati to suffer.
the patient has to suffer the effects of the disease as well as the recommended treatment. the patient has to suffer the queues to complete laboratory exams and soon after that, the agonising wait for the results often written in something akin to a foreign tongue. and then another waiting game with the Doctor to show up after his operation or hospital rounds, to taking religiously prescribed medicines and diet and whatnots.
the patient needs to be (really) patient to get through their ordeal!
my take 