Yesterday, one of our patients renewed his wedding vows with his wife after 47years of marriage. I took time out of my busy day to witness this happy event in his hospital room. It brought tears to my eyes, happy tears.
My co-workers of course teased me. Bastards.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Words never spoken
"...you pushed me away"
That was the last thing you told me.
I guess I did, and I dreamed many times that I would. But still I wish I didn't.
Sorry.
I really miss you, my friend. But, you'll never see or hear this.
That was the last thing you told me.
I guess I did, and I dreamed many times that I would. But still I wish I didn't.
Sorry.
I really miss you, my friend. But, you'll never see or hear this.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Two down, two more to go
Nauseous from the pills that I've been taking for the last two weeks, I decided to take a bath to somehow alleviate the discomfort I've been feeling. The waves of nausea came like the ebb and flow of tides, the bath water seemed to exacerbate it as I imagined myself in the ocean bobbing up and down.
I emptied the tub, as I laid in it, concentrating on the sound of the water swirling down the drain. I needed something to divert my attention away from the nausea. I maneuvered the handles with my feet to turn on the shower, I didn't have the strength or energy to sit up. I felt dead, but I welcomed the shower water coming from above. Its rhythm not matching my nausea at all.
I imagined myself a corpse lying in the rain. The beads of water raining down on my torso felt nice. What felt even better was the outer ring of shower water hitting against my face. It felt cooler. My mind was blank, I focused my attention to how the beads hit my lips. It felt nice, sensual. Minutes passed, I was no longer the dying corpse I felt that I was a while ago. Especially as I awoke from my trance, choking on the water that slowly accumulated in my mouth.
I'm alive and it could be worse, I need to make the best of it. I felt better temporarily. Two more weeks of hell, I can only hope. But if my liver enzymes are elevated, a worse hell will begin.
I emptied the tub, as I laid in it, concentrating on the sound of the water swirling down the drain. I needed something to divert my attention away from the nausea. I maneuvered the handles with my feet to turn on the shower, I didn't have the strength or energy to sit up. I felt dead, but I welcomed the shower water coming from above. Its rhythm not matching my nausea at all.
I imagined myself a corpse lying in the rain. The beads of water raining down on my torso felt nice. What felt even better was the outer ring of shower water hitting against my face. It felt cooler. My mind was blank, I focused my attention to how the beads hit my lips. It felt nice, sensual. Minutes passed, I was no longer the dying corpse I felt that I was a while ago. Especially as I awoke from my trance, choking on the water that slowly accumulated in my mouth.
I'm alive and it could be worse, I need to make the best of it. I felt better temporarily. Two more weeks of hell, I can only hope. But if my liver enzymes are elevated, a worse hell will begin.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Not another work day...
I came into work and looked toward the assignment board and smiled as I saw who my patient was.
"I told them not to give you him...", the ward clerk said.
Confused, I said, "What?" and as they started telling me what happened, I was already walking out toward his room.
"See you Tuesday", he said. I waved back, "Yep, see you Tuesday."
That was the last time I saw him alive - always smiling, always warm. He and his wife were sad that I was off for the next three days. His wife told me that he liked me very much. He said he liked me as his nurse because I cared for him. I thought it was an odd thing to say considering other nurses have cared for him and I only had him back for 2 days since the first time I cared for him.
"I feel anxious and a little scared", he told me a month earlier about the thought of being intubated.
He remembered me from the one time I had him a month ago before he was intubated. I smiled.
"I want everything to stop."
At a meeting with the physicians and family, he told them that he wanted the tube-feeding to stop the following week. My eyes watered and a tear rolled down my face as he spoke. I thought I saw him glance my way temporarily, and then he resumed speaking. Did he notice? I hoped not.
"Be strong, be realistic, but be hopeful at the same time", I told him. He smiled.
He decided on Monday to also remove the oxygen. He decided right after one of his favorite shows, he wanted it done. He removed it with his own two hands. He went peacefully throughout the night they said. There was always someone at his bedside.
His wife didn't know of his decision. I didn't know. I only knew of the tube-feeding. He didn't want his wife to be sad.
Needless to say, I cried.
I didn't know if he could hear. I bent down to whisper in his ear to say my last goodbye. His breaths were shallow and erratic, pulses barely palpable. A few minutes later, he was pronounced dead.
"I told them not to give you him..." she repeated. I said, "No, it's okay."
I cried as I did my post-mortem care. I removed a rubber ID band he wore on his right wrist that indicated he had a smart port and kept it. It was rubbish to everyone, but to me, it was something more. I wore it that day and I smiled each time I saw it.
I'll always remember you.
"I told them not to give you him...", the ward clerk said.
Confused, I said, "What?" and as they started telling me what happened, I was already walking out toward his room.
"See you Tuesday", he said. I waved back, "Yep, see you Tuesday."
That was the last time I saw him alive - always smiling, always warm. He and his wife were sad that I was off for the next three days. His wife told me that he liked me very much. He said he liked me as his nurse because I cared for him. I thought it was an odd thing to say considering other nurses have cared for him and I only had him back for 2 days since the first time I cared for him.
"I feel anxious and a little scared", he told me a month earlier about the thought of being intubated.
He remembered me from the one time I had him a month ago before he was intubated. I smiled.
"I want everything to stop."
At a meeting with the physicians and family, he told them that he wanted the tube-feeding to stop the following week. My eyes watered and a tear rolled down my face as he spoke. I thought I saw him glance my way temporarily, and then he resumed speaking. Did he notice? I hoped not.
"Be strong, be realistic, but be hopeful at the same time", I told him. He smiled.
He decided on Monday to also remove the oxygen. He decided right after one of his favorite shows, he wanted it done. He removed it with his own two hands. He went peacefully throughout the night they said. There was always someone at his bedside.
His wife didn't know of his decision. I didn't know. I only knew of the tube-feeding. He didn't want his wife to be sad.
Needless to say, I cried.
I didn't know if he could hear. I bent down to whisper in his ear to say my last goodbye. His breaths were shallow and erratic, pulses barely palpable. A few minutes later, he was pronounced dead.
"I told them not to give you him..." she repeated. I said, "No, it's okay."
I cried as I did my post-mortem care. I removed a rubber ID band he wore on his right wrist that indicated he had a smart port and kept it. It was rubbish to everyone, but to me, it was something more. I wore it that day and I smiled each time I saw it.
I'll always remember you.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Quality of Life
I recently took care of a terminally ill patient and discharged him home the very same day. What was involved in his care was basically to get him to a state where he was strong enough to be transferred out, which required several transfusions of blood products. His prognosis was so that the physicians didn't bother to do a CBC after the transfusion, because "it wouldn't affect his outcome."
I had him only for one day before the he left. He wanted to go home is my understanding and he knew he wasn't going to get better. He had accepted it, he had a long fight already and I respected him for it. I would want to be closer to my loved ones during my last days - not stuck in a hospital, an unfriendly environment with people poking and prodding you just to keep you alive.
The emotional me didn't cry during the day, partially because I was busy with my patients' care. But, as I was doing my discharge teaching and I looked into his eyes to say my last goodbyes before he left, I had to fight back the tears... unsuccessfully.
It didn't help or console me even when my charge nurse said "You were the perfect one to care for him today." All I was thinking was that he was eventually going to pass away. Even today, I think of him and tears roll down my face as I write.
I also think of myself,... and where I would be. Prognosis - not good.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Right Thing...
Sometimes you just have to let go to set your heart free and let your mind forget ... I guess that process involves a lot of hurt before that happens.
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss
