Reflections of a Grady Doctor: A piece of Cake

     This blog really touched me! It identifies the small things that we do that mean so much to others. This posting brought back memories of when I was in nursing school. I had a very obese patient who weighed over 450 pounds. She had to have her hygiene cared for by her teenage children. She could not wipe herself nor properly bathe. Well, as a nursing student, you know that you are always given challenging conditions in caring for your assigned patient. When I walked into the room, I greeted her with a smile and asked her if she needed anything. She asked me if someone would assist her with a bath today because she could not fit in the bath tub. She dropped her head as she spoke. I told her that I would be delighted to assist her with a bath. I left the room to assemble my supplies and wondered what I could do to make this comforting for her. I collected three water basins , the hair shampoo, bath soap , several towels, etc. Before I began her total bath, that we had to do while she sat up in the chair, I filled two of the wash basins half- full with warm soapy water. I took her socks off and placed each foot in the their own basin. After washing her from head to toe , I lotioned her back , her feet , legs, etc. When I was done, she told me that it had been a very long time since she had a bath like that. She constantly thanked me. I told her , "You're welcome. I am glad that you enjoyed it". I departed after my shift was over. When I arrived the next day for my clinical assignment, my patient was still there. I asked the nursing staff , in our clinical report, if her morning care and vital signs had been completed. They said,  "She refused to let the nursing assistants give her a bath this morning. She praised her bedside care from yesterday and insisted that she would wait for you to come and care for her". This meant more to me than you would ever know. I often wondered what would would happen to her upon being discharged from the hospital. But, I had consolation in knowing that I made a difference in her life for those two days , even if it was only for that moment.
     The Grady Doctor knows all of the political and budgetary constraints that are behind the scenes in hospital administration that affect the quality of care that patients receive. It may seem simple to some that a "piece of cake" would be such a big deal. But, if you have ever provided care to patients in the hospitals, you would understand. To some, that is their final destination before they transition from this life to the next. Money and material things have no value there. They need companionship , a card, a phone call, and most definetly a "piece of cake" on their birthday. KUDOS to the Grady team!!!!!!