God Bless Them

I have thought about writing this for a few months. As many of you know, I spent part of 2020 in a few hospitals and care centers overcoming a major health problem (Not Covid). I am pleased to announce that I managed this with a great deal of help, mainly from the help of the hospital staff particularly the nurses, assistants, and physical therapists. As my health has improved and as I live in a small town I do see many of the staff on a daily basis. I do feel that I have not thanked them enough. So here goes.

I learned a great deal from them and came to appreciate the job they do. I listened and watched as families brought their elderly relatives in to the care units and left them there. As I was still in control of my understanding and feelings the environment had a major effect on me.

I listened to one elderly lady as she pleaded with her family to take her back home. I went to sleep hearing her repeat continually the promises she would make to the family when they next visited her or answered her phone call. When I awoke four hours later, she was still saying the same words and the nursing staff confirmed that she had been talking continuously all night.

I heard one pleasant senior lady curse the staff when she found the front door locked to stop her trying to go home. Her language would have made a drunken trooper blush. Sorry troopers.

I realized that the nursing staff counselled the family as much as they did the “Patient” if not more.

Their patience and kindness was unbelievable. I have serious doubts about me being able to do the job they do daily.

I appreciated the training these young girls of the nursing staff must have had. There is no doubt that for most of them it had to be a calling. I thought of the training my own daughter must have had when she was becoming a RN back in the UK. She would come home in tears when one of her patients died.

They took me to the bathroom, showered and bathed me always with a pleasant attitude and a smile on their face. I certainly left my modesty at the front door along with a large lump of my supposed dignity. They also suffered my moaning and at times complaints, again with a cheerful smile.

At the same time my belief in counting my blessings was reinforced. Both my father and mother had emphasized that. I saw young people paralyzed for life in traffic accidents laugh and race their motorized chairs up and down the corridors to the consternation of the staff. Again, the patience of the staff was great.

So, to again repeat myself, God Bless them all. Every one of them.

Rod Willcox