Another archway, another path, another life.

One of my favourite patients passed away today.

So did another one of my patients but I couldn't give a rat's behind about him.

 

This lady, I will term, Marge.

 

Marge initially came in with bilateral pneumonia about 3 months ago. She managed to solve that up in the end and I remembered when I got her up those stairs, she beamed at me and said that I was an angel. Her oxygen levels continually stayed low so I thought whether it was more of a lung issue rather than anything else. But she did not get short of breath, she stayed relatively happy chappy with herself. I sent her home, confident and feeling good about a safe and successful discharge.

 

Then she came back in again.

 

She'd had a heart attack.

They kept her in for over a month and then sent her home. At that point in time, I'd gotten her a new stroller and she was over the moon about it. She said I was the best and boasted to everyone else in the room how good I was. She was probably the one that made everyone more receptive to my input. And I was eternally grateful for that.

 

Then she came in again.

 

Her left foot was completely covered in sores due to cellulitis. It looked like blisters but far bigger and far worse. They burst and the entire floor was dripping with the discharge. I felt sorry for her.

 

And probably at that point in time, she lost her will to live.

 

She became very depressed and moody and only spoke one word sentences rather than chatter away gaily as she used to do with me.

 

And to make matters worse, she lost her voice. She could only rasp her answers back at me and my hands were bound and tied. I could not do anything for her. Nothing. Even the doctors were baffled. One of the RMO's casually tossed out, "She doesn't even know her heart valves look like cauliflower."

 

Then she was taken to Welly for a scan and possible surgery.

 

And this morning, she passed on.

 

Marge was a devout Catholic who loved a little gambling with the racing greyhounds. She had a husband who doted on her and a daughter whom I saw every other day. She did crocheting and she used to maintain a beautiful garden. She was also an awesome cook. She would talk about Malaysia with me and through my stories travel there when I did get a chance to sit down and talk to her.

 

Funny, isn't it. When someone dies, you refer to them in the past tense. Like they're not there anymore. Sure, anyone who believes Christian theology would also believe that they've GONE to Heaven or the Great Beyond but somehow, we attribute their contributions to our lives in the past tense. Isn't it?

 

So I might just rephrase that previous statement.

 

Marge IS a devout Catholic who LOVES a little gambling with the racing greyhounds. She HAS a husband who DOTES on her and a daughter who I sometimes see every other day. She does crocheting and she MAINTAINS a beautiful garden. She IS an awesome cook. She talks about Malaysia with me and travel there through my stories.

 

It seems foolish and a little dumb to try and make it seem as though she's still here. But in my memory, in my short 3 months of working here, she's had an impact on my life that I would not have appreciated otherwise.

 

One of the last things she ever told me was "We've got some pretty nice girls around. You should stay."

 

We'll see, Marge. We'll see. You're the best. And you're an angel.

 

Marge - R.I.P. 12th August 2009. Gone to be with the Lord. A rich and fulfilling life of 71 years.