# 5- WITH YOUR LOVE I STAND

A 79 years old lady admitted with elbow and leg fracture, she was completely immobile on bed. Her daily activities have to be assisted by nurses, and the world today is selfish. Whenever it's time to change pampers, or give bedpan for patient to pass motion, sure all my friends will go MIA (Missing In Action), don't know where on earth are they doing. I can't wait for them, and make my patients suffer, so I do it on my own.

This lady Mdm G, was very grateful whenever I offered her bedpan to do her business, and clean her pampers. There's always "Thank You" before I left, that's enough for me =)

Again, have lots of chatting with her when I feed her, she's very alert and knowledgeable, despite of her old age. She doesn't look old, but of course, our body cells slowly go down as we aged. Doctor told her that she has osteoporosis, no guarantee that she'll be fully recovered after surgery. In fact, there's no 100% successful operation for all people. So, she's going to try for natural healing without operation. For this, I solute her, such a brave lady, it's not easy to go without any surgical corrections for bone cases especially.

Mdm G: "Life still have to go on despite of the mishap. I've been facing so much throughout the years. "

Me:" Anything you want to share?"

Mdm G:" Well, I don't get married because I see too many people around me with their unsuccessful marriage."

Me:" I see... What makes you think that way? It's not necessarily that yours will be the same=)"

Mdm G:" Well, in fact I just feel that it comes back to the same after married. Many young people nowadays just fail to take care of their parents once they've grown up. So many of my friends are now being treated as a maid at home, taking care of their grandchildren. I have a friend saying that when her son is bringing his family out for dinner, he will just leave the old ones at home, coming back home empty handed. So you tell me, what's the point of having children and bringing them up so hard?"

Me:" I totally agreed with you. It's always easy to say that, 'Yeah, I'm going to repay my parents back, and will promise to take good care of them.' Actions speak louder than words, I learn how to be filial to my parents through my job in the hospital actually. I saw lonely patients who were threw to the hospital and left ignored, I cleaned patients in front of their grown up children who were complaining that it's dirty and smelly, and down in my heart I despite all these successful businessman. "

Mdn G:" True enough. That's the world today."

Me:" And you know what I've learnt from all these people? I told myself that I will never become like them. Last time, I used to be very particular with dirts, smells; but today, cleaning all these are part of my job, I have to do it to make people comfortable and happy. So, I do it. Likewise, parents do all these for their children without complaining, but after that, their children just don't have the intention to do it for them simply telling that it's too dirty and unbearable."

Mdm G:" That's why I don't get married. BUt I've got very good nephews, they treat as their own mum. They try to give me the best. "

Me;" So glad to know that, hope that you will recover soon with the natural healing. It's not easy, and it takes time. "

Mdm G:" With your love and care, I should be able to stand up and walk again."

Me:" Why me? Let it be your nephews or your family my dear =)"

Mdm G:" Nope, with YOUR love and care, I will stand up. You've been very sincere in every single thing that you've done for me these few days. I just don't know how to thank you, I have nothing to give you back. However, I'm telling you that, you will be a great staff nurse in future, please bare in mind, you will be a GREAT staff nurse, and with your love, I will stand!"

Me:" Thanks for your compliment, it touched me. In fact, that's my duty, take care, I gotta off duty."

I've never expect that my daily small deeds may encourage a person to have courage to move on and even stand strong despite of the pain and disabilities. May GOD continue to bless my patients, and make me a good vessels to help and heal as GOD's will.

# 4 - Porridge

As I was passing by Room 3,

busy doing my close monitoring chart,

I heard a voice calling me.

Old granny: "Hey, missy! Come and feed me now!"

A 88-year-old lady, shouting so loudly out form her room,

it's time to feed her,

as what she's told me yesterday that her maid will feed her at 6pm everyday.

I pitied her as her hands were tied at the bedside,

just to prevent her from removing all the tubings and monitoring instruments on her.

She seemed to be more restless after being tied up.

That's the part which I can't stand the most,

yet we still have to do it.

We need the close monitoring system,

we want the patients to get well soon and leave ICU as soon as possible.

And that's the only way to control her from pulling the tubings off.

She has been talking to the ceiling and the walls after being tied up,

even as I was preparing her porridge,

she was repeating herself to me,

Old granny: "remove all the strings now, I want to eat."

Me:" I will feed you."

Old granny:" If you don't release me, how am I supposed to eat?"

Me:" I will feed you, don't worry."

Old granny:" You are so long-winded, I said release me, can't you understand Mandarin?"

Me:" I will feed you, you don't pull your tubings, then I will ask Dr to remove the strings ok?"

Old granny:" Haiya, I said release me now, I want to go out."

Started to feed her so as to keep her silent.

She was too hungry after struggling for quite some time to remove the knots.

Old granny:" Have you eaten?"

Me:" Nope, I still have work to do, after feeding you, I have to feed others."

Old granny:"No more porridge in the kitchen?"

Me:" The kitchen cooked for you so make sure that you finish it ok?"

Old granny:" Why you let me finish the whole bowl of porridge? Normally I asked the maid to cook more so that you can eat also."

I was a bit touched at the moment,

though she's fierce when she's scolding me off,

just to be released.

She must have thought that she's at home,

and was complaining why the maid didn't keep some porridge for me.

As I work at the patients' side,

I learn how to really care of them wholeheartedly,

no matter how hard, how tired I am.

It just gave me the satisfaction and pleasure to move on.

Old granny:: Alright, I've finished eating, let me go."

Me:" Where do you want to go? Wait for your sons, they should be coming in a short while."

Old granny:" I said let me go la, you are so stubborn!!!"

There she came again, with all sorts of nonsense, trying to climb out of the bed again.

Me:" Please rest in the bed, and I will ask Dr to release you ok?"

Old granny:" I want to go now!"

Me:" Where do you want to go?"

Old granny:" I want to go and die!!!!!!"

Me:'' NO, YOU CAN'T!"

Old granny:" I'm older than you, so listen to me! Let me go!"

I left her room, there's no point arguing with her,

after all she's tied up.,

that will be the safest way to keep her alive.

However it also showed that,

how important our freedom is,

a person will go nuts if there's too much of control.

But our control towards old granny was of good intention,

sorry granny...