10/16/08

This thursday at clinicals went.... peacefully. Don't get me wrong, it was great, but it just seems I was getting so efficient at documenting and caring for my patient, that there wasn't as much for me to do:)jk Fortunately, I got busy trying to do a puzzle with a resident, as well as watching politics with another one. Between administering meds and giving blood glucose tests, I found I just had time to sit and talk with the residents in the "Cherry Blossom Cove". This is the favorite time for me, just being able to learn about their lives and have fun with them. There are so many great people, I love engaging in conversation with them.

Thoughts on "her"

My resident had such an amazing life. She is Norwegian, and comments on how beautiful it is there when I ask her about it. Her accent is pretty sweet too. So, she got married at age 23 (one of the best days of her life) to a "good man". They had four children, and said she loved raising children. "All her kids are good kids", she said. It seems she won't open up about much else. When I get her talking about her family, her eyes light up and she smiles. Also, she has a problem with fatigue. Most likely, if someone were to come see her, she would be in her wheel chair, head down, and resting. I'm not sure why she is always tired. I do know that if I ask her open-ended questions about her husband or her children, she will smile and talk to me about it. She turns into a warm person reminiscing about those days, even if it's only for a few minutes. All this to say, first impressions aren't everything. When I first met her, she was pretty indifferent to me and did not speak. I thought she didn't like me, but I quickly learned what makes her happy. From the surface, she looks like a fatigued, old woman who isn't very social. When one searches deeper, they find an amazing woman who had a life filled with love and happiness and adventure.

Thoughts on Clinicals

I must say I am really enjoying this clinical experience so far. It seems like it's going so fast, although getting up at 5:00am is not the preferred.
I think the reason I am enjoying this so much is because I get to really make a difference and apply what I've been learning. It's amazing to have someone under your care. I feel blessed to be able to help.
My resident is 84 and she is really sweet. I gave her meds the other day:) We talked about her husband and her family and we were able to connect. At first, I was really sad about the whole situation. It was an eye opener to see that people are winding down and our bodies will all fail us one day. It's just sad to see the residents want to be able to do things on their own, but unable to. There was this one lady who was getting so frustrated that she couldn't get out of her wheel chair and into bed, so she started calling for help. I happened to walk by and tried to help her get comfortable, and she said to me: " nobody cares if we're dead or alive. They're here when we don't need them, but never here when we call". Even though she was probably speaking out of her frustration, I couldn't help but wonder about what she said. It's sad to me that this is her perception of where she is living.
I've realized though, that I can only do my best and I can't make everyone happy there. This is a liberating thought for me.