The best laid plans...

Published on July 7, 2006 By dharmagrl In Misc

I didn't get to do any of the embroidery or the other things I wanted to do this afternoon.

I got called to sit vigilance right after I posted that article. I just got back about 15 mins ago. My patient passed away this evening.

Confidentiality prevents me from saying anything more about it. But my patient was, from the accounts I've heard this afternoon, a wonderful, generous, loving human being, and the cosmos is one gutsy and adventurous soul richer this evening.

I'm going to have a beer and a little cry now.

Comments

terpfan1980

on Jul 08, 2006

Sorry to hear about the patient, but such is the destiny for all of us. Hopefully along the way we live a good life and get to be remembered the way you've described your patient.

I know you're in a business now where you'll perhaps see many more such occurences, and I hope you never lose the sense of loss, but at the same time I hope the losses don't take a toll on you. Just be proud of your efforts to help make your patients more comfortable and happier while here. Though some may not get to express it, hopefully they'll all appreciate your work.

dharmagrl

on Jul 08, 2006

I know you're in a business now where you'll perhaps see many more such occurences, and I hope you never lose the sense of loss, but at the same time I hope the losses don't take a toll on you.

That's exactly what I'm trying to do. If helping someone die didn't affect me in a some way then I wouldn't be suited to hospice work. However, I'm learning how to deal with the emotional toll that hospice work takes on me. It's taken me some time and it hasn't been easy, but I'm getting there.

I'm no expert at getting over these deaths, Terp, and I hope I never become that used to them that I don't even miss a beat when a patient dies.

MasonM

on Jul 08, 2006

Tough work, but it's good there are good people to do it.

Dr Guy

on Jul 08, 2006

Bless you Dharma. For what you do. We need no details. It is your actions that are the true nobility.

There is a soul (Karma) in the cosmos that is smiling on you for you actions.

dharmagrl

on Jul 11, 2006

Tough work, but it's good there are good people to do it

And I CAN do it. Someone said "I dunno how you do it, I couldn't" to me the other day. That's part of the reason I do this; I KNOW that not a lot of people can, so I feel like I have an obligation to do it because I CAN.

Bless you Dharma. For what you do. We need no details. It is your actions that are the true nobility.
There is a soul (Karma) in the cosmos that is smiling on you for you actions

It makes me feel a little uncomfortable, being blessed like that, but thank you anyway. I hope that the soul I helped depart the other day sees my actions as positive ones and knows that I did all I could to make it's departure as painless and as scary as possible. It's not easy, but there's a lot of satisfaction in it, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

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