Some days you meet people who change your whole perspective on life. 

Working in the hospital has been the greatest and most rewarding experience. I want to remember the people I cared for today, so I just need to write about it. Just for myself. No one else. Today was truly a great day.

When I hired in to this job, HR gave me the option of working in Trauma or Oncology. I didn’t know which to pick, so under pressure to make a quick decision I chose Oncology. I love my floor. My managers, my co-workers, everything is great. But I always wonder what it would be like on the Trauma floor…what if I had chosen differently? Would I like it better? When I am a Nurse, will I want to be an Oncology Nurse? a Trauma Nurse? Something else? I want to find out. My hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center, and the most well-known hospital in the area for Critical Care Nursing. If I do want to become a Trauma Nurse, I am in the right place.

A few times I’ve been floated to the Trauma floor to help out, and I’m glad because it lets me see how it’s different from my own unit. Today I was floated there again, and asked to take care of two patients who needed to be more closely watched so they didn’t injure themselves or fall. The first was a pleasant 50-year-old male who had been in a bad car accident. Hematoma on his left hip, dislocated left shoulder, Left scapula fracture, lacerated liver, cuts and scrapes all over his body. The second was an 87-year-old man who had fallen at his home and badly bruised the right side of his face and right arm. He is completely distraught over the loss of his wife of 68 years, who passed away a few weeks ago.

These two men I will remember for the rest of my life. I love people. I love listening to their stories, hearing them talk about the things they are most passionate about. I love that my job is to help people get better and to make them more comfortable as they heal. I enjoy being a companion, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on. Sometimes that’s what a grieving person needs most. To just talk to another person about whatever troubles their heart.

Car Accident Guy was the funniest, wittiest, most sarcastic and hilarious adult I have met. I loved hearing him re-tell the events leading up to the crash, how his wife talked to him from the passenger seat as they were hanging upside-down in the car to keep him from passing out. To keep him breathing. How amazing it is that all people involved are going to be okay. He told me about his wife and kids, and how thankful he is for his wife and how strong she was throughout the whole ordeal.

He needed my help to turn in his bed, to sit up, to stand, to pull his pants down so he could use the bathroom. He was a little embarrassed having to have so much help, but kept telling me how much he appreciated everyone who has been helping him. He also dropped a few F bombs and other profanities when moving his body was very painful, and was cracking me up all day. When his family came to visit he introduced me to them all, and invited me to sit and talk with them. Which I did for a while. What a wonderful group of people. They asked me all about Nursing school and wished me well and encouraged me. That man is so blessed to be surrounded by such great family and friends, and he knows it.

Little Old Man was a sweet, pensive, loving guy. My heart would break right along with his as he sat in silence just thinking about his wife, tears rolling down his cheeks. I cannot imagine the pain he must feel. 68 years of one person beside you every day. One wonderful person you shared so many memories with. Your one true love, gone. How could anyone begin to cope with that? He didn’t watch TV. He didn’t want anything to read or look at. He just kept thanking me for doing so much for him, and he would smile  and wink at me when I called the kitchen to order him a piece of chocolate cake or an extra cookie. He has quite the sweet tooth, and he told me he and his wife would eat ice cream together every night as a treat, and it was normal in their home to have dessert before their dinner. Adorable!

After lunch time, Little Old Man’s pastor came to visit him. He sat down on the bed next to him and held his hand. Asked me questions about how he was feeling that day. The old man was so happy to see him. The pastor asked him how he was and if he was having a hard time with losing his wife, his Thelma. I sat with them and cried right along with them. The old man said through his tears, “I just can’t seem to stop crying, Pastor. I just don’t know what to do without her. She was my whole life.”

The pastor just held his hand and nodded, starting to cry himself. We encouraged the old man together that it would help him to talk about Thelma, to tell me how wonderful she was. What was his favorite thing about her? How did he know she was the one? What does he miss the most? We all cried and laughed and smiled and passed the tissue box around as the old man told us the very best parts of their love story. It was the most beautiful story…the stuff you see in movies. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. He met her when they were 15 and 16, at a square dance. She was the prettiest thing he had ever seen. There was never another girl for him. They got married when he was 19. Her parents wouldn’t allow her to marry him until she was 18, so they were married not even a week after her 18th birthday. They had three children, “a whole mess” of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren. When asked what he misses most about her, he simply said “just her presence. Thelma was so beautiful. Feisty. One of a kind.” That’s love, y’all. I can only dream of finding a love like that in my lifetime.

Later that afternoon the old man’s daughter came to visit. He will be moving in with her and her husband when he leaves the hospital, and she’s so worried about him and loves him so much. She and I sat on either side of his bed and held his hands  while he cried silently and stared at the ceiling without really seeing it…replaying visions of their life together in his mind. We comforted him until he fell asleep.

It was so hard to watch this woman who was trying to be strong for her father while dealing with the pain of losing her mom at the same time. At some point we all might be faced with a similar situation. I tried to imagine myself beside my father, watching him cry. Comforting him as he did me when I was a child. It’s sad and beautiful to witness that kind of role-reversal. Watching the children of a sick person step in and care for their parent…I can’t help but think of my own parents. How will I deal with that when the time comes?

I spent 12 hours with these two men today, and when it was over I didn’t even want to leave. I enjoyed my job more than ever today. I took extra care to make sure the old man had some snacks in case he wanted something sweet during the night before i left. Told the night shift worker to take extra good care of both of them. I walked out of their room smiling after receiving hugs and well wishes and so much thanks. But I was thanking THEM. They reminded me today what life is really about. That each day should be cherished because there is no certainty that you will be allowed another. That every day is a gift. In the end, love is the most important thing in the world. I have never cried and laughed and smiled so much working a 12 hour shift! I’m so thankful for the time I got to spend with those two families today.