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8/31/2014 11:12:24 PM
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One of my patients just died (sob story)

For those who don't know, in reality I'm a caregiver for Alzheimer and dementia patients at an assisted living facility. This morning I walked in to check on her and clean her up, I noticed she wasn't responding to me calling her name, also notice shallow breathing. Now she's been on hospice for a week now, so mentally I was kind of expecting this would happen very soon. But truth be told, I wasn't. Months ago she use to tell me how she built airplanes in WWII, how she was a teacher in California and what life was like living on a farm in Kansas when she was younger. Her son spent all day at the facility, with his mom on her death bed. He spent the night with her in her room. I notice these sign and immediately inform my supervisor, she called in the hospice nurse and her family. After 30 mins I walked passed her room to see my co-works including her family surrounding the patient. I didn't go in. I couldn't. I just turned my head and went about my rounds. And then it hit me. Someday I'm going to be in her son's position, looking down at my dying mother's face with my hands over my eyes, trying to wipe away my tears and realize the fact that my mom - the women who loved me unconditionally, who supported me anyway she could throughout my life, is gone. She must have felt so happy surrounded by love ones in her final moments. We all will be in this situation eventually. Many of you probably think nothing of it right? Your mom is only in her 40s - 50s. She has a job, she has you but one day you'll find out that her back and joints are as strong as they were and she has to retire, then you have to take care of her, she then shows signs of Alzheimer or dementia and you living your life with a girlfriend/wife with kids your career simply have the time to care for her, so you find a assisted living facility for her. And then..your in the son's position all of a sudden. And you think back to a better time and what you would've done differently - spent more time with her maybe. Cherish the time you have with your parents. I know what some of you are thinking, you know that nobody lives forever and you think you're ready for that time. You're wrong. You will cry like you've never cried before. We all cried today. I could her my co-works sniffling, watery eyes and you just get this sad vibe around them. The last thing I saw when I clocked out today was my supervisor coming back from escorting the family in tears. That..that really got me. I just needed to get this off my chest. TLDR: Cherish the time you have with your parents.
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