Going to work as a nurse brings unexpected experiences. Even when you think you've 'seen it all.
Two patients touched my heart today, two completely different stories of two men's lives. Our 25 year old patient, who suffered a heart attack after using crystal meth. No coronary artery disease, but a good old-fashioned heart attack. No English. A brother and a girlfriend and a toddler. Discharged him, with Narcotics Anonymous literature in his language, and medication instructions, and saying a silent prayer as I wheeled him to the car, for his life, and those whose lives he affects with his drug use. And off he went, smiling.
And our young ALS patient, who absolutely was done with this life, being completely unable to move or talk or breathe or eat on his own. He wanted everything turned off. So with family, social workers, doctors, and nurses, and pastoral care crossing all the T's and dotting all the 'I's" legally, with Morphine IV for comfort care, today was his "good day to die."
I reflected how we often choose the dates our children will be born into the world, with scheduling C-sections, but scheduling our day of passing out the other side is not something common. Or comfortable.
The CD player played big band and marching band music, he wore his VFW hat, the room filled with people and prayer. With all the machinery off, and with full knowledge, he breathed slower and slower. Then he smiled. And closed his eyes.
And off he went, smiling.
Truly, there's no other job I would have wanted in this life but to be a nurse.
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