Today at work a patient was on her way out...like about to pass away. Her daughter asked us to give her a bath and wash her hair, and so we did. But right before we were almost done, she stopped breathing. And then she started gurgling yellow goo out of her mouth. Her husband was right outside the room. I kinda freaked out - I just wanted to get out of there.
I just looked at her and I felt it - the death vibe. Have you ever felt it? It's cold, and unfamiliar. I tried to close her eyes, since they were wide open - staring into space. But then her eyes popped back open and she started breathing - just shallow death breaths. She passed away a few minutes later.
A few hours later, I'm sitting in my nutrition class, taking notes and listening about the use of Vitamin K - and I think "I saw someone die today." And all of a sudden everything seemed so insignificant and weird.
This wasn't the first person I've seen die. But it was so sudden, it just caught me off guard. I've always heard stories of things like that happening (death by bed bath), but it's never happened to me!
Anyways, I'm glad that she's home in a better place, free from pain and illness. Her family is sad, but they'll see her again. And I'm glad I got to wash her hair for her before she left. Maybe someday she'll thank me?
3 comments:
sad. i could never do what you do. remember "hershey squirts" !!?? haha. i think about that sometimes and think of you fondly.
ahhh, Britt. That is so close to the guy I literally picked up put on the toliet and then he died a dew minutes later. I kept thinking wow, all he needed was the bathroom. What if someone took him an hour earlier would he have gone sooner. Anyway life and death very very fragile, it is a blessing to be on the other end right now.
a FEW not dew
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