Kleenex for Christmas

Christmas Eve is never a fun time to be in the hospital. Can you imagine being in the hospital while the world is celebrating? Let alone being on a restricted diet - it's just wrong!

This past Christmas Eve I admitted a woman who I was told was "very emotional". No story came along with this report so I wasn't really sure what I was going to face when I entered the room. So as I went in, I approached with caution.

As I was completing her admission her story pored out: She had recently gotten divorced from an abusive husband and was having issues with her oldest sons. They called their dad and he came 3 days before Christmas and moved them out of her home. She was so distraught, she could hardly carry on a conversation.

I didn't know how to respond, I got kleenex, it seemed like so little.

I stayed with her while she cried out all of her emotion and dried her eyes. And then she thanked me for being so nice!

I couldn't think what I had done... I mean really, kleenexes????

This patient has been readmitted at least 3 times since she spent the holiday in our care. I overheard her say to a coworker..."that's Andrea, she was my angel on Christmas Eve".

I seem to keep writing these blogs about the little things. I am begining to find this to be true in my life as well. Coffee ready when I get to work, a perfectly timed text or facebook post can change my world in an instant.

The small things...