Reach out a hand

Sometimes just listening can be all that it takes to reach out to someone in need.  I had a patient recently that was hiking 30 minutes a day and then the next she was in a hospital bed being told she only had 2-3 months to live, if that.  She wants to be there for her kids and her husband so she decided to go through interventions to help her current problems.

Just 11 hours previously I had talked to her and she told me that she just did not feel up to having another procedure and she should take a day off.  I encouraged her to express those concerns with the doctors and to not do anything she did not feel up to.  I wish I would have been there during the day to help her advocate more for that feeling.  We know our bodies the best.  When I came back to work I noticed her room was empty and quickly asked where she was, ICU was the answer.

I quickly got report from the previous nurse and decided to go visit her and tell her that I was thinking of her.  She was sedated so all I could do was hold her hand and talk to her in hopes she heard me.  Her pressures were dropping and they needed to intervene.  The doctor tried explaining to the husband what they needed to do but the words were too medical for him to understand.  He grabbed my hand and asked me to explain.  I put the words into terminology that anyone without medical background would understand.  The look of trust he had in his eyes in me brought me to tears.  I watched the ICU nurses stay chatting in their pod and not one of them came over while the doctor was explaining to provide support or listen to what the doctor was saying.  We all know that we have questions once the doctor leaves and it is important for the nurse to understand what was going on.

I worried all night about this patient and her husband as now I know he will get zero sleep because you cannot sleep in the room with the patient in the ICU.  This morning after I got home I slept for a few and then could not sleep anymore because I was thinking about this family.  I went to Panera, grabbed some lunch and caffeine and took it to the husband and sat with him until the son and daughter could come up.  We talked about life, not about the patient, and what it means to let go.  I learned more about life in talking to the husband in two hours than I have in 26 years.  This was a really touching day for me.  I know we are not supposed to take work home with us, but my heart allows for it.  My heart is big enough to help many people in need.

Sometimes we need to believe that every negative situation has a positive whether it be right now or in the future.  His love for her will never fail and he will be at her side through the rest of her battle, whether it be days, months, or years.