I spent this friday on one of my clinicals. We were assigned to go to The Courtyard at Jamestown. Its an assisted living facility. So not sick patients, just ones that require a little help. So when we arrive they need four of us to go the Enhanced Care wing..... Of course i get nominated. At first i stressed, but then they told us it was the Alzheimer's residents. So i was like, Ok, i know this, no big..... or so i thought.
I spent the morning getting my residents up and dressed and showered. . . Some of them had their little apartments decorated with pictures and shadow boxes at their doors, letters and pictures from grandkids and just little knick knacks here and there to help ya figure out what they were like years ago. So the day was going well so far... all the residents meet out in the little common area and have breakfast and do activities and they were just too fun. It was awesome to just spend time talking to them and looking at a book they've already shown you twice, introducing myself a few times, but have almost everyone of them tell me they loved me... So i was doin good. i was proud of myself for handling it that well... Then one of the residents came out, he had apparently stayed up late so they didn't wake him until like 11.. He was wearing a pair of white sneakers, some slick pants, and a striped polo shirt; just like the one that john always used to wear...
REALLY!?!?!?! are you kidding me?...
i mean, it shouldn't have been a big deal, but it was. a thousand emotions ran through my brain the rest of the day... Guilt for the days i was impatient. Gratitude for the fact we were able to keep john home. Sad for the residents who didn't have family to come see them... it was just crazy... luckily my shift ended early... so i got in my car and just cried... hadn't done that for awhile... but it was so strange. I thought about papa john most of the day... how funny he was clear up until the end. . . how lucky my siblings and i were to have him as our dad... he was amazing.
so i don't know why i needed to post this, probably didn't, but i just wanted to make sure everyone knows to cherish what they have... you truly never know.
jana might kill me for the picture, but thats the dang shirt.....
9 comments:
Jami, I love you I'm sorry you had a hard day your tougher than most. I'm glad you got to cry it out sometimes thats just the best feeling to get it out. Hope school is going good I need to get a hold of you and schedule Briten's 1 year old pictures HOLY SHIT that right its almost been a year. TTFN
Jami you suck now I am crying
Just saw your mom today. She's looking great! A lot better than that picture there.
i shed a couple tears!!!! Before i even saw the picture, i knew exactly what shirt you were talking about. I can even picture his pants!!!! Man we miss Uncle John
Thats's so hard! I'm sorry! That's where my Grandma Shaw was at up until the time she passed away, so all of those emotions just came back to me too when I was reading your post. They are so cute there, but it is so sad! It was always hard for me to go there and see all those sweet people. Good luck Jami! I was so glad that I ran into you on Saturday. Call me sometime.
Jami you have the best heart ever!! We miss you!!....a lot.
You do have a tough outer skin, but a huge heart! I am glad you cried, you may have needed that for a while. I think you were the best thing ever for you Dad. I hope you give yourself credit for all you did for him! I am so sorry, cant imagine how much you miss him! Your going to be an awesome RN!
Hey Jami, I love this post, I'm sorry I'm bad a reading everyone's blogs but I wanted to let you know that you're awesome and if you and Drey ever wanted to come visit us in AZ, we would love it!
Ok so this post made me cry. After Jake died my mom moved all of his clothes to a bedroom upstairs after about a month. And the first time I walked in the house after she moved them up I smelled Jake and it was sooooo sad to smell him and know he wasn't here anymore. The funny part of the story is that the smell was the pot on his clothes!!! Marijuana NEVER smelt soooo good!! I miss seeing John too he was a wonderful hilarious man
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