Scary Morning

I need to preface this that this blog is not for the faint of heart. I did not go into details, but it is still a scary life experience. I won't mind if no one reads it. I just needed to get it out so I could let it go.


I had a very scary morning on Monday. Frankly, one of my worst fears about working at the nursing home happened. I should preface this with - No One Died! Not just for the reader, but also to remind me that it could have been worse.
Monday started off just like any other day. By Nine o'clock, the department directors went to their morning meeting, the restorative aide, Debbie, had brought her favorite lady to the gym and I started therapy with three residents. My group consisted of a gentleman named Mr. G, a very nice cognitively withit lady named Mrs. A and a less cognitively withit lady named Mrs. F. They had finished their exercises and had just started their individual work, when Mr. G announced that he needed to go to his room. I asked him, "Why?" (I feel I need to clarify this a little. Sometimes, we need to encourage the residents to do their therapy. Other times, they forget that we have a bathroom, so we always ask why someone feels that they need to leave, suddenly.) He said that he was dizzy. As I was telling him I couldn't let him walk back to his room if he was dizzy, he visibly turned white- literally right before my eyes. I told him I was going to take his blood pressure. He nodded to me and that was the last time he responded to me. When I came back with the blood pressure cuff, he was stiff and non-responsive. I won't go into all the details, not just for you but for me too. But, I will say that I thought he had passed away at one point. I have heard that a person's final breath is very deep. Well, he took such a deep breath that his cheeks and lips were pulled into his mouth. Then he let it all out and slumped forward. It took a while for help to arrive, because they were all in the morning meeting and the nurse was on the phone with a doctor and couldn't answer our call. Thank the Lord that Debbie was in the gym with me. I wasn't able to leave his side. I was literally keeping him in his chair. She tried to call for help and finally ran for help when it was obvious the phone was useless to us. I need to thank the Lord for Mrs. A , also. I didn't have time to remove my other two patients from the area. It just happened too fast. Mrs. A started praying for Mr. G. It was so comforting to hear her beside me praying for help and God to save Mr. G's life. Finally, I have to thank God for Mrs. F. I think He realized that afterward I would need to see something good or humorous to latch onto so I wouldn't fall apart. So, He brought Mrs. F. During this entire episode, which only lasted 5-8 min. but felt like an hour, she made little comments. Like, "Uh Oh. That's not good. Oh, That's bad. Oh dear, That's not right." If you had been there you would realize what an understatement these comments were. However, that is pretty good for someone that generally asks, "Are we finished yet?" and "Can I go lay down ,now?" So, even in the midst of so much trauma, God provided just what I needed. Even if it didn't seem like it at the time.
Mr. G had a major heart attack. He is in the hospital and could really use our prayers. Please pray for his family, also. He is not expected to make a recovery.