Sunday, December 9, 2012

Becky's Road to Recovery

Becky has come a long way since her accident. She has started going to dayhab again, although she does get very tired very quickly.  She got the "green light" from her orthopedic doctor to start weaning away from wearing her leg braces during the day.  She should be off the braces completely in another month.  Thankfully, Becky has healed well enough to no longer need the heavy duty pain medications that caused so many complications in her recovery.

In the weeks and months since Becky's accident, she has touched so many people, brought happiness and gifts of peace to the ones who have cared for her in the process of her recovery.  

Once example was a nurse assistant at the hospital where Becky spent 10 days inpatient.  This nurse assistant was extremely efficient and professional as she took Becky's vitals, assisted with her bed baths, etc.  But she was also very distant, almost cold, as she provided her services.  Becky would try to talk with her each time, asking her how she was...and always finishing the nurse assistant's visits with "Thank you for taking care of me".  The nurse assistant would tell her "it's my job" and look at Becky funny as she walked out of the room.  One night Becky scared us all terribly.  She crashed.
It was the night before she was supposed to go home. Becky suddenly began breathing very rapidly; her face was beyond pale. The nurse assistant ran out of the room and got the nurse. Everyone thought that Becky was having an anxiety attack. Then I felt her face and realized she had a fever. That's when everything felt dreamlike. Medications to lower fever and flush liquids out of Becky's system were pushed through the IV; her blood pressure was very low and her heart rate slowed drastically. The doctor and all the nurses who had gathered were worried Becky had a blood clot going to her lungs. (It turned out to be pneumonia). The nurse assistant ordered the nurses to back away from Becky. She took over all the comfort measures to calm Becky and me. She worked with the nurse and they got the situation under control.
This amazingly talented and capable nurse assistant came back to check on Becky and tend to her needs the rest of the night...her night off.  Later, when Becky started feeling better,  Becky took the nurse assistant's hand and kissed it...thanking her again for taking care of her. 
The nurse assistant told Becky "Stop, don't do that" and hurried to the door. She stopped at the door and turned to me, saying: "I used to do that. I used to kiss people on the hand and tell them thank you or I love you. But my family made fun of me for it, so I stopped.  No one has done that to me in decades."  She had tears in her eyes. After that, the nurse assistant was very warm and friendly with Becky....actually, with everyone I saw her come into contact with.  

Becky has the gift of touching peoples' hearts. We all do. Who knows how many people she touched with her loving nature, her gratitude for their service, for their company.