Year One: Being Present

A patient I knew well, was started on the palliative care service...and to that I said to myself "finally." She had been suffering for weeks and the family and team couldn't come to an agreement regarding her care. As she was nearing the end of her life, I was able to spend some time with her husband. Knowing him well and knowing that he hadn't eaten in days I brought in a cup of oatmeal after my shift and sat with him and his wife for awhile. I was able to have a little peace with them. I held her hand and listened to his stories about her and how they met. After a few minutes he wrapped his arms around my neck and began to sob. Being the crier that I am, my tears weren't far behind. As we talked the husband went from saying how he could not live without her to talking about ways to cope after she was gone. It seemed like my gal could hear the conversation. As her husband was working through some of his grieving, her breathing started to slow down and she was twitching less. She became more at peace. I left knowing that those few minutes made a difference. My little lady passed a few hours later.

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