Thursday, May 5, 2011

I watched as someone went to heaven.

It is true, we recently had a "code blue" on our floor. Scary and sad. This person was "fine" just minutes before the code was called, then suddenly they grabbed their chest, their heart went into a funky rhythm and well that was pretty much it. But not really. For 45 minutes in the small hospital room there were about 15 highly trained professionals  (I was in the hall) who did an amazing job at getting lines established, giving blood, administering medications, and doing compressions. The patients child was in the hall tearing up and on the verge of a breakdown. I listened as they called their other parent and said, "Come quick". At that very second I prayed that I would never be in that same situation. I never want to have to call a family member and say, "come quick", not ever.  I stood in the hallway watching, I had never before seen a "code" take place, it was quite an experience. I saw the hand fall over the side of the bed with a wedding ring on, I watched as the belly wiggled and shook around during compressions, I saw the bloody sheet, and I felt the sadness as I watched the spouse arrive and run down the hall to greet their child. The fabulous team of professionals then got a pulse, amazing. They planned for a couple of minutes to move the patient to the ICU, a team was sent there to set up. The pulse then left and compressions started again. Watching again I saw something amazing, I watched as a doctor came to the spouse and said, "the heart has stopped again, shall we continue?" And then I saw/heard the most beautiful thing ever, I watched and listened as the heartbroken spouse said, "that is enough". And then I handed over a clean sheet. A clean sheet, that was it. 


*side note* Please make your medical or end of life wishes known to your family.*


Dear Patient,
God Speed.
Love, CoRi dAwN
For purposes known to health care workers, I will say that this may or may not be true. You decide.   

1 comment:

  1. So hard to say "that's enough" and so few people do. You have to have faith to be able to let go. I would struggle with that part of your job more than anything. Life can be so sad and hard and beautiful all at the same moment.

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