SeaCat
Hey, my Halo is smoking
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2003
- Posts
- 15,378
Eight years ago I started working in the hospital where I am now employed. When I first started I was teamed up with an R.N. who was to mentor me and teach me what I needed to know to survive on the unit. I worked with her for a month, with her critiquing me every step of the way. It wasn't easy for me to listen to someone else about my work but I did so knowing she had been there for many years.
After I left that phase we started working together. Our work schedules were very close and she always asked for me to be assigned to her team. We worked well together and we had the same twisted sense of humor. We took care of too many patients to count. We took care of the easy, the not so easy and the downright daunting patients. We dealt with the combatative and the placid.
The two of us were called hard core and cold because we never became emotionally attached to our patients. We couldn't afford to.
We worked well together. We did what we had to do to take care of our patients even if that meant breaking the rules. Our patients came first. Slowly over time we became friends.
People looked askance at us as neither of us were the touchy feely type of personality.
When she retires from Nursing two years ago after thirty some years in the field we kept in touch. She started a bussiness watching over other peoples homes. I helped out a lot by doing the repairs. We worked together again. Our relationship wasn't the Boss and Employee type. I helped her out when she needed help and she helped my wife and myself out.
Less than a month ago she went to her M.D. complaining of pain in her shoulder. She was diagnosed with late stage four Lung Cancer. Now my friend and colleague became my patient as well. We talked a lot as I helped her out even more. Now I was driving her to her appointments and doing her shopping. Now I was doing those little jobs around her place to keep it running because she couldn't. I learned of her wishes, she knew the prognosis.
Two weeks ago she was transfered to Hospice as her condition was deteriorating rapidly. My wife and I started visiting her there on a daily basis as her brother stayed at her bedside. We often brought in food for him or relieved him so he could go to her place for a few minutes of rest. We watched her decline. We also watched her other friends stop coming by.
Tonight at 2205 I was watching a movie when I received the call from her brother. She had passed away.
A candle has been lit for my friend, it will remain lit until her funeral.
Cat
After I left that phase we started working together. Our work schedules were very close and she always asked for me to be assigned to her team. We worked well together and we had the same twisted sense of humor. We took care of too many patients to count. We took care of the easy, the not so easy and the downright daunting patients. We dealt with the combatative and the placid.
The two of us were called hard core and cold because we never became emotionally attached to our patients. We couldn't afford to.
We worked well together. We did what we had to do to take care of our patients even if that meant breaking the rules. Our patients came first. Slowly over time we became friends.
People looked askance at us as neither of us were the touchy feely type of personality.
When she retires from Nursing two years ago after thirty some years in the field we kept in touch. She started a bussiness watching over other peoples homes. I helped out a lot by doing the repairs. We worked together again. Our relationship wasn't the Boss and Employee type. I helped her out when she needed help and she helped my wife and myself out.
Less than a month ago she went to her M.D. complaining of pain in her shoulder. She was diagnosed with late stage four Lung Cancer. Now my friend and colleague became my patient as well. We talked a lot as I helped her out even more. Now I was driving her to her appointments and doing her shopping. Now I was doing those little jobs around her place to keep it running because she couldn't. I learned of her wishes, she knew the prognosis.
Two weeks ago she was transfered to Hospice as her condition was deteriorating rapidly. My wife and I started visiting her there on a daily basis as her brother stayed at her bedside. We often brought in food for him or relieved him so he could go to her place for a few minutes of rest. We watched her decline. We also watched her other friends stop coming by.
Tonight at 2205 I was watching a movie when I received the call from her brother. She had passed away.
A candle has been lit for my friend, it will remain lit until her funeral.
Cat
