Myriad musings...what else is new.

[gateslacker]

I am "away" for a few days and the place runs amok with posts regarding just about everything. From Threads to Pride and Prejudice...Can I ever hope to reply to it all??? It has been such a long time since I read Pride and Prejudice that practically only the names sound familiar. And I haven't seen this production everyone is raving about. I may have to check that out in my spare time *snort*.

I had a very productive weekend. Finally managed to clean this desk off in the computer room. I hate clutter and it was way over due. I have books lying about with very few places to put them. I need to clean out the book shelf to make room because I ordered another book. It is the second book in a series from Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter (rapidly becoming a favorite author). The series started in Time's Eye which I highly recommend. Of course, I am wasting my time as no one ever really reads anything i recommend...LOL! Sunday was a busy day with church and a youth fundraiser/basketball game, Youth VS. Geezers, which I renamed "It's all fun and games till someone breaks a hip!". Fortunately, the geezers won with their hips and other body parts intact. Then, I went to visit my aunt who, unfortunately, has pancreatic CA, one of the those cancers with the most dismal prognosis. I have never seen anyone with Pancreatic Ca last very long but since I don't know all the particulars about her cancer, I won't be making any predictions.

Monday, I did my time at the hospital. My purpose there is two fold. One, everything I earn on those days goes into my savings acct. and two, I always need a bit of reminding as to why I left in the first place. The ER was a train wreck for most of the day. I wasn't actually working the ER which doesn't really mean that I didn't work in the ER a bit. I was actually in charge and it was frustrating because it seems that Respiratory therapy has decided to come and go as they please. COME ON! One thing about this hospital, the majority of people are those with primarily respiratory/cardiac diagnoses. I am trying to assess, take off orders, and generally keep things going. I didn't really have time to be performing tracheal suctioning and giving breathing treatments because respiratory decided they would come in at 11am! (and leave at 4!)  Then, to top it all off I had several people "circling the drain".

Dying is bad enough but I think it is all the more sad when there is no one there with that person. I had one who had been on the verge for several days. Initially, I was told that he only had a POA and that person was a neighbor. Well it came to the point that this was it. Bradycardia, agonal respirations, the whole bit. Despite his being unconscious, I couldn't leave him in there to die alone so I stayed in the room. He would stop breathing and you would think, "this is it". Then, he would start up again which is not uncommon in and of itself but that he would do this over and over and over. Times like these remind you that some people hang onto life with a certain tenacity. Or, that we will die when our time comes and not a moment sooner. Maybe it's a bit of both. Anyway, about this time the case management nurse comes in and offers to stay with him as by this time I am accumulating a Mt. Everest of work at the Nurse's station. I mention that it is sad that he has no family. She tells me that he has six children! I wonder where they are! She mentions that he has been expected to die for several days and says that, " he is waiting on something." I tell her that maybe it's those six kids. I have no idea what happened in this person's life or even what sort of person he was but I think it is terribly sad that not a single one of his children cared enough to be there when he died.

Comments

[mal119119.livejournal.com]

I think it is sad when they are alone when they die. Some seem to wait when they are alone. A family member might be with them for hours. Then when the person is alone (even for 10 min's) they pass then. Or they will wait for a certain person to be present.

If i've known that person a while, i always make a point of kissing them on the forehead and saying goodbye. The last one was about 3 weeks ago. I found her. Shed only gone a few minutes. Her family chose not to come in to see her. So the nurse called the undertaker. The nurse would not enter the room with the undertakers. So I went in. I also went down in the lift and watched her being loaded into the van. i wanted to see her off.

"Bradycardia" What is that?? The breathing pattern you discribed, we call it "chain stoking" over here. its not pleasant unless you seen it before. i've known a couple of people get upset the first time they see it.

((((((((hugs)))))))

mal xx

[gateslacker.livejournal.com]

Bradycardia is the term for low heart rate. We also use the term Cheyne Stoking as well. As for the undertaker, most times I help them out. It seems when they show up everyone manages to be somewhere else. But, it isn't the easiest thing in the world to move a dead body.

And you are right, I have seen some people wait till they are alone.