Comments on: One Last Time. http://pinkwarmdry.com/blog/2009/01/one-last-time/ Living the dream. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:19:44 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: NinjaMedic http://pinkwarmdry.com/blog/2009/01/one-last-time/comment-page-1/#comment-2464 NinjaMedic Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:10:59 +0000 http://www.pinkwarmdry.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-2464 I consider myself incredibly privileged every time I get called for hospice. My patients and their families are letting me a part of an incredibly intimate moment...one that they'll remember for the rest of their lives. Yeah, it's difficult to deal with sometimes, but it's all SO worth it. Thank you for seeing beyond the'they're dying, get them out of my ambulance' mentality. You're a rare gem, Epi. Don't forget that. By the way, have you thought about volunteering some time for a hospice? I think you'd be fantastic at it... I consider myself incredibly privileged every time I get called for hospice. My patients and their families are letting me a part of an incredibly intimate moment…one that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. Yeah, it’s difficult to deal with sometimes, but it’s all SO worth it.

Thank you for seeing beyond the’they’re dying, get them out of my ambulance’ mentality. You’re a rare gem, Epi. Don’t forget that.

By the way, have you thought about volunteering some time for a hospice? I think you’d be fantastic at it…

]]> By: Bobball http://pinkwarmdry.com/blog/2009/01/one-last-time/comment-page-1/#comment-2461 Bobball Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:28:42 +0000 http://www.pinkwarmdry.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-2461 Made many of those runs in my younger days at the private. All ages, old...and sometimes young. Too young (little kids) was difficult enough, but I think the hardest (and most rewarding) was a girl I took home. She was my age at the time (so 19, maybe 20). Bone cancer. She'd been sick for a long, long time. Now she was going home to die. Despite weighing maybe 80 pounds, she was stunningly beautiful, and yet, had been sick so long, she'd never had a boyfriend, or drove a car, or did much of what teenagers did. "Home" was some 30-40 miles away. For the most part, we didn't talk. What she asked for; was for me to hold her hand, which I did for the better part of an hour. She was pretty uncomfortable (no implanted pain pumps then, and we were a BLS unit). I willed my partner to slow down and take it easy on the bumps and curves. All the while she held my hand, stroked it, traced my fingers. When we reached her home, she lifted my hand up, kissed it, looked at me, and simply said, "thank you". We gently carried her into her room and tucked her into bed. She died the next week. Yep...those calls are not only the worst emotionally...I wouldn't trade them for anything. Thanks Epi Made many of those runs in my younger days at the private. All ages, old…and sometimes young. Too young (little kids) was difficult enough, but I think the hardest (and most rewarding) was a girl I took home. She was my age at the time (so 19, maybe 20). Bone cancer. She’d been sick for a long, long time. Now she was going home to die.

Despite weighing maybe 80 pounds, she was stunningly beautiful, and yet, had been sick so long, she’d never had a boyfriend, or drove a car, or did much of what teenagers did.

“Home” was some 30-40 miles away. For the most part, we didn’t talk. What she asked for; was for me to hold her hand, which I did for the better part of an hour. She was pretty uncomfortable (no implanted pain pumps then, and we were a BLS unit). I willed my partner to slow down and take it easy on the bumps and curves. All the while she held my hand, stroked it, traced my fingers.

When we reached her home, she lifted my hand up, kissed it, looked at me, and simply said, “thank you”. We gently carried her into her room and tucked her into bed. She died the next week.

Yep…those calls are not only the worst emotionally…I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Thanks Epi

]]> By: Epijunky http://pinkwarmdry.com/blog/2009/01/one-last-time/comment-page-1/#comment-2463 Epijunky Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:42:49 +0000 http://www.pinkwarmdry.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-2463 Thank you, JS... And for the record your blog doesn't read like a run report :P Thank you, JS…

And for the record your blog doesn’t read like a run report :P

]]> By: JS http://pinkwarmdry.com/blog/2009/01/one-last-time/comment-page-1/#comment-2462 JS Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:33:16 +0000 http://www.pinkwarmdry.com/blog/?p=1183#comment-2462 I have been on many runs like this. I agree that it is an honor to be the last ride the patient will ever get. While it is sad, it really means something to me to be able to share this moment with the patient and the family. This is a great story and you tell it so well. I wish I had the gift for writing like you do. My blog reads like a run report. lol. JS I have been on many runs like this. I agree that it is an honor to be the last ride the patient will ever get. While it is sad, it really means something to me to be able to share this moment with the patient and the family. This is a great story and you tell it so well. I wish I had the gift for writing like you do. My blog reads like a run report. lol. JS

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