The infirmary
We are busier than ever at this time in our little infirmary. There is always something to deal with, some new plan to be formulated in someone's care. Little by little each falls into a place where there helplessness is there for all to see. Yet each embraces it in their unique way and continues on their journey, adapting to each new level as they go.
Worried about Emilio, because of his spinal condition; this is worsening at an alarming rate, though it does not seem to concern him overly much. For when he sits in his wheel chair, or the geriatric one, his tail bone area pressed against the back of the seat. So that small area is starting to get very tender and could move into a sore, which in turn could progress to him being bed ridden for a while, something we are trying to avoid. I talked with him last night, telling him of the problem. He understood, for his mind is still sharp and he can follow what I have to say. So as we chatted I told him that he may need to stay in bed for longer periods, to give the lower back time to heal. Have not quite figured out a time line yet, perhaps getting him up at 11 AM, and then back to bed at 5 PM, might good for him. He likes getting out of bed, so hopefully we can find something to protect him in a better manner soon.
Philip had another ‘dip' yesterday. He gets very weak, unresponsive, and almost seems to be in a coma, though he always, at least so far, pulls out of it. He has a pacemaker, so this could be what is keeping him alive. It does not allow the heart to go below 60 beats a minute, so if the heart slows down it gets a slight shock to keep it going. This can lead to making it hard to finally letting go. I sat with him a bit, for a couple of hours, read and prayed and also called his only living sibling to let him know how his brother is doing. Ray is a very gentle man, a nurse, so it is easy to talk with him about his brother's condition. So now we are again in a waiting mode for dear Philip, the bishop, my nickname for him. One day, the ‘dip' will take him. He has been here the longest, though his present condition only started about 6 years ago. He has been in our infirmary for about 18 years or so. The time goes by so fast; it only seems like a couple of years.William has his days. Some days he is cheerful, talkative, eats well and likes to watch sports on the common TV. Other days he is combative, sullen, won't eat, yells etc., which is normal and we just adapt. Some days it takes two to clean him, others only one is needed. Not matter what kind of day he is having, he loves ice cream. So one of us feeds him if he needs to be, and at least for a short time he feels a little better. When he gets too loud, which is often caused by too much stimulation, or from sundowners syndrome, he is put by himself for a time which tends to calm him down a bit. We are really great friends, and I guess he could be my favorite. He calls me ‘Markey" when he knows who I am and on other days it is "Jimmy". I guess a good friend, from when he was playing in the jazz band when a young man.
Luke is 97 and revels in that fact. He is getting weaker but stays in a good mood, is gentle and laughs easily. He loves tea and toast and has many friends who love to visit and spoil him. Until a short time ago, he helped out a lot, which was life giving for him. He always got a kick out of being as much as 25 years older than some of those he took care of. Yeah his DNA pool is truly awesome.
Tom is bedridden, but has adapted well. He keeps busy, reads a lot and yes also has lots of friends. Our main concern is his gaining weight, so we may have to get another bed for him. Since he cannot move around at all, he easily gains ever increasing pounds. We try to control his intake but it is really impossible. Even fruit can put pounds on someone who does not burn up any calories thorough activities. To put him on a 1200 calorie diet could be cruel, at least for him. So we try, but it is one of those battles that I am willing to let go of. Like I said, we can get him a bigger bed if needed. Food is a great comfort for most people and I only know a handful were this does not apply. He really does not eat ‘too much'; he just can't burn it off.
Jerome is happy, he reads, uses his electric type writer, listens to music, watches a movie from time to time, and yes he also has friends. He seems very content and is very little trouble. He has a gentle smile and when he laughs his whole body shakes. He loves scripture and can read Latin, Hebrew and Greek. So he keeps himself busy and is happy.
His legs are still strong, so he can really zoom when using his wheelchair.
Clarence is the most active, though far from well. He is on dialysis three times a week, and also goes to therapy the other three. Along with other doctor's visits, he is out quite a bit, but this seems to life giving for him. Most hate going out, he seems to thrive on it.
He is a very talkative man, and I guess I know just about everything about his family history. He can be very gentle with the others up here and I am often impressed in the way he relates to them. He can be very kind and considerate. Some days he can be very fatigued, this mostly happens after dialysis for it can be very demanding. He is also saddened when one of those who belong to his little community at the clinic dies, for he is a very sensitive man, though he likes to hide it.
Victor is a very quite and private person. He likes to stay in his room and seems content to do little. He needs help getting in and out of bed and eats in the common room but never watches TV with the others. He is picky in what he eats, but he does better than most of the others. He is little trouble, but can be demanding at times, yet listens when told of this tendency and tries to work with it. His best quality is that he does have a sense of humor, very dry, and can laugh at himself.
Leo has always been quiet, but now needs to be feed as well as does Philip and William on certain days. He has always been gentle and was an artist when before he came down with dementia at a young age. He can still laugh at a joke, responds when spoken to, but most likely does not know where he is, or really knows those who take care of him. There is one person that he seems to remember. Her name is Salena, a beautiful young woman who loves to visit him. He responds to her and seems to remember who she is, though not by name. She has been a true faithful friend for many years. He does not watch TV, though at times the animal planet station does seem to grab his attention.
So all in all, it is a busy place and though I seem at times close to burn out, I still love working with the men her and also with the crew. |
