Our agency, along with hospice, also has a Palliative Care Program. I mostly do hospice admissions, but do help out with Palliative Care admissions as well. Weakness is not a stranger to many of our patients. All of us use energy in our daily routines. We don’t think much about it as we have enough to get us through each day comfortably.
With these
two Palliative Care patients, their weakness impacted their speech as neither
had enough energy to say more than a few words at a time. Body language is so powerful. It has its own expressive way to
communicate. I saw these two patients
only days apart. Each touched my heart
so deeply by their beautiful smiles. No
words were needed to be spoken. I gave
each of them a smile back; which was my way of expressing my appreciation back to
both of them.
A SMILE
only a few
years back; at age seventy-two.
Currently, she
is wheelchair bound due to weakness;
needing help
with all of her needs.
Conversation
is difficult for her
as she speaks
only one or two words at a time.
I spoke with
her about her loving son.
Her amazing
response back was beautiful;
one huge, magnificent
smile.
Five weeks
ago, he was told
“It is
cancer that has spread to your brain”.
He has
undergone five radiation treatments
with
chemotherapy now next in line.
He was
totally independent before this started.
Now, his
weakness keeps him in bed
as sitting
up in a wheelchair is too demanding.
He, too, is
now only speaking a few words.
We were
talking about his large, extended family
and how his
wife spoils their eight grandchildren.
As we were
leaving, I turned to him and said,
“I bet you
spoil your grandchildren too.”
No words
were needed
as he
replied so expressively
with one
beautiful, heartfelt
smile.
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