Nov 8, 2008

See ya later alligator

When you go into the health care field, one of the first thing you are told is "Don't become attached". It is also the most impossible advise to follow. Anyone who is in the health care feild will most likely agree that there is no way you can avoid becoming attached to certain patients. There is always someone who weaves their way into your heart and sets in permanent roots that blossom into an overwhelming love for them. If you are that rare type of person who can avoid becoming attached, then most likely, you are not working in the health care field at all. Your typical health care worker is the type that love people and helping then in any way possible.
I work in a nursing home and yes, there are patients I have become attached to. I know that they are not going to be around much longer. I care about them all and have lost some that I have liked alot. While I find all the residents at the nursing home special, Lester was beyond special to me. I never knew him before he came to us. He could not walk, and said very few words with great difficulty, most days he could not speak at all. When he could speak, it was always jsut one word repeated 3 or 4 times. He could not feed himself or care for himself in anyway. Yet he found his way into my heart and put down those roots. Every time I spoke to him his eyes would light up and he would give me a big face splitting lopsided grin. He would grab my hand and laugh when I spoke to him.
I always ended my conversations with him with "see you later alligator". It was my special thing for him and nobody else. He always responded with a huge smile and a laugh, sometime he would even manage to say "awhile, awhile, awhile". Every time he did, it made my heart soar. It was wonderful knowing that despite all his limitations, he knew I was there and understood what I was saying. He was just one of those special people you can help but love with all your being.
On Wednesday, I left work with a heavy heart. Although he was doing well, and was not sick or visibly failing, I just "knew" that when I returned to work on Friday that my "buddy" Lester would no longer be there. I wouldn't see that silly grin, hear the bubbling laugh, or hold his hand ever again. I don't know how I knew, I just did. I wanted to be wrong, how desperately I wanted to be wrong, but I wasn't.
On Thursday (my day off) , The world lost a very special person and God received a very special angel. I returned to work Friday evening to find the spot in the hall where he sat empty, and a new man sleeping in his bed. I was not surprised but my heart broke just the same. Silent tears coursed down my face on and off through the night as I worked. I tried to hide my grief from others but they noticed that I was not as 'peppy" as I usually am at work. I did my work with a lot less enthusiasm and it showed.
Please pray for Lester's wife and childen for thier loss. Send them good thoughts and strength to get through their pain and sadness.

and to Lester, my good buddy:
"See ya later alligator"

1 comment:

Shop Girl said...

this was very touching, lisa. :) welcome black to the blogsphere. i figured out why i can't add you to the blog roll...apparently whenever people have those parental warning disclaimers (like yours does) before clicking onto your page, it disables feed.