My Favorite Patient

Today I was remembering one of my dearest patients I have ever had, and for anyone who knows me, I LOVE to tell stories about my work, but this patient is one of my very favorite memories, because she helped build my testimony and taught me a lot about life.

This patient was one of the very first I ever cared for as a brand new CNA and Med Tech. She had Alzheimer's disease, and she was one of the sweetest women I will ever be privileged to know. I can only remember one time in all the thousands of hours of care that I did for her that I ever heard her get mad, and it wasn't even directed at anyone. She was ALWAYS kind in her conversation with the aides, and for anyone who works in health care you can relate when I say that someone in pain or being cared for isn't always going to be the kindest. She would always say how nice I was or how I was an angel. She had the most beautiful smile.

She reminds me of the Rascal Flatts' song "Ellsworth" when it says "Tomorrow she won't remember what she did today, but just ask her about Ellsworth Kansas, 1948". She would talk about serving her mission, and on occasion she talked about her husband and how much she loved him, (He had already passed on a few years before) but could remember nothing from her mid-twenties to the present. She couldn't even remember her children by the time she passed. She didn't remember any of the staff, where she was, etc. to give you a feel for her memory.

My favorite memory of her was one night as I and the other aides were cleaning up dinner. Her health had been declining, and she had a tendency to wander aimlessly, so she became a 'fall risk' to the staff, which designates pretty consistent monitoring to prevent falls, which can easily kill the elderly. Anyways, we were picking up dinner, and all of a sudden one of my fellow aides and the nurse sprinted into the lobby, where this patient was kneeling on the floor, elbows propped up on the cushion of the couch. I went running in after them, as they hit the floor beside her and asked her if she was okay, what was wrong, what hurt, etc. She wasn't responding to them, which wasn't like her at all, and we were all worried.

Finally she sat up, looked at them, and said "I'm praying." That sweet patient couldn't remember her own name, but Heavenly Father in His mercy helped her remember how she could communicate with her Dad when she needed. I will never forget that moment of standing next to that couch in tears as she finished that prayer about ten minutes later and climbed off her knees. That meant so much to me, that our Heavenly Father would help her to remember that, even in the enormous trial she was going through, as her world was slowly becoming foggy to her, that He wouldn't take away that source of comfort and help. I know He will always be there for us in our hardest trials, when all seems lost. I know He will carry us.