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THE SELF-CARE ISSUE
LOVE STORIES FROM REAL NURSES
had a lovely patient, an artist, whose husband had died some years before. Her little apartment was crammed with art, includ- I “I KEPT BUMPING INTO STARS” ing beautiful scenes from their time spent out West: mountains, starry nights, and valleys with cacti and wildflowers. As they had no children, her two nieces were taking turns caring for her. When her time drew close, the two cousins came together to be with her at the end. In the days leading up to her death she had been sleeping most of the time, and her breaths and pulse rate and blood pressure were all growing weaker and weaker. [Then] she’d rally. Her little eyes would fly open, and she’d look around at us and always let out a hearty laugh. Her eyes would crinkle with joy, and she’d be so excited. Then she’d trail off to sleep again.
On the evening of her death, I took a turn sitting with her so the cousins could eat to- gether and get some rest. Suddenly, my patient raised her arms and lifted them in front of her. Her brows fur- rowed from time to time, and she’d let out a gentle “owww,” and quickly shifted her arms as if she were flying, trying to get around something. Then again, “Ouch, ohhhhh, oops!” and the sweetest laughter when she would jerk her arms again to the other side. Her arms would dip, sway, and lift. There was constant laughter, and “oohing” and “ahhhing,” and the occasional surprising “ouch!” and then the laughter again. I called the nieces and told them to come quickly. The three of us sat around for the longest time and watched this spectacle, marveling at her laughter and the gentle movement of her uplifted arms. Finally, she grew rest-
38 ELITE LEARNING
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