Today at work I got to take care of a professional singer. She plays a baby grand piano when she sings.
She's going through heroine detox.
I asked her to please, please sing me a song. She asked me what do you want to hear? I know over 200 hundred songs. I being a child of the 60's asked her to sing Me & Bobby McGee. She belted that song out and all the RN's and workers on the floor filled that room up listening to her beautiful voice. I cried.
This lady I will call Jayne is 50 years old but looks 30. She has the most beautiful long red hair.
When the room cleared her and I had a talk. You gonna stay clean once you get out? You don't understand in the line of work I am in it's so hard to stay clean. And I am so sad. I've lost 53 people since the age of 22. I ask her who were these people? Some family, but mostly friends.
I have never done this to a patient because it is against hospital policy to tell patients, detox people anything about your life. But I just felt so different with Jayne. I asked her do you know how many people I've lost? No, how many? Just in my family alone, both parents, 3 brothers and my oldest sister and my oldest daughter...and just recently my breasts. I'm not in your line of work but if Creator had given me a gift to sing like you do I know I would not waste it. And we talked about all the things she could do to change her life and still let her be the singer she is. She asked me for my phone number and that also is a big no no.
I went against all the rules today. It just felt like the right thing to do. When I left her I hugged her, also a no no. I told her to be strong and to be healthy. This is a fresh start for her to take it and run with it.
God I hope she makes it, with all my heart I hope she makes it.
Now I am off to up state New York with my husband to visit some of his family.
Have a great week-end everyone and say a little prayer for Jayne ...every little bit helps, look what it did for me.
9 comments:
oh man..wish i could have heard her sing it...you little rascal you...i'll light a candle for her...have to light a bunch of them, have a lot of friends having health problems..you, josh,elizabeth,allan,well..a bunch...goddess bless you both..
JackieSue I know if you met this woman you would have fallen in love with her, I did. She was just something else and I wanted her to sing to me the whole shift...
I hope the risk you took works out for Jayne. I understand "policies" especially when you're dealing with chemically addicted people but also completely understand why you "violated" them.
Prayers going out there for Jayne. Sometimes all it takes is someone going out on a limb for us to make the change.
Sending good thoughts that way. Sometimes things like you did for her are what it takes to get through. Hope she realizes that.
Hope you had a good weekend.
You might just be Jaynes turnaround in the long run.
Nice.
Sometimes ya gotta be bad to do good.
I think what you did was good. A hug can change so much and so can personal moments.
The rules that count are the ones that come from the heart. You know that is how recovery works - you share things which the other can relate to. Jayne needed someone who understood her losses - and you didn't hold back. I'm glad you were there for her - completely.
you can't hug a patient? wtf? fucking fuckers.
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