1/
#HumanismAlways, Day 1
Me: “Lights on or off?”
You looked at me and smirked. I paused with my hand on the switch.
You: “That’s in the script?”
Me: “Say what now?”
You: “What my druthers is when it come to anything.”
You chuckled.
You: “We don’t call no shots.”
Ooph.
#HumanismAlways, Day 1
Me: “Lights on or off?”
You looked at me and smirked. I paused with my hand on the switch.
You: “That’s in the script?”
Me: “Say what now?”
You: “What my druthers is when it come to anything.”
You chuckled.
You: “We don’t call no shots.”
Ooph.
2/
Me: *nervous laugh*
You: “Y’all be asking stuff like we got a say. But then y’all do what y’all want. Wake you up and stick you with a needle. Put some cold hands on you. Talk your damn head off.”
Me: “Ouch.”
*laughter*
You: “Oh wait. You do get to pick what you gon’ eat.”
Me: *nervous laugh*
You: “Y’all be asking stuff like we got a say. But then y’all do what y’all want. Wake you up and stick you with a needle. Put some cold hands on you. Talk your damn head off.”
Me: “Ouch.”
*laughter*
You: “Oh wait. You do get to pick what you gon’ eat.”
3/
Neighbor in next bed: *yelling* “Buuuuuuull-shit!”
*laughter*
Neighbor: “They got me on soup with no noodles and jello!”
Me: *chuckling* “Maybe your doctor wants you on clear foods and liquids.”
You: “Or maybe your doctor just doing whatever they feel like.”
*laughter*
Neighbor in next bed: *yelling* “Buuuuuuull-shit!”
*laughter*
Neighbor: “They got me on soup with no noodles and jello!”
Me: *chuckling* “Maybe your doctor wants you on clear foods and liquids.”
You: “Or maybe your doctor just doing whatever they feel like.”
*laughter*
4/
Neighbor: “Talking ‘bout some, ‘Lights on or lights off?’ Then give you some jello and thassit.”
You: “Right?!” *laughing* “Or order a test that you ain’t ask for but got to starve for all day for!”
If they could’ve high-fived through the curtain they would have.
Hmmmm.
Neighbor: “Talking ‘bout some, ‘Lights on or lights off?’ Then give you some jello and thassit.”
You: “Right?!” *laughing* “Or order a test that you ain’t ask for but got to starve for all day for!”
If they could’ve high-fived through the curtain they would have.
Hmmmm.
5/
I sat on the bedside chair and listened to the banter back and forth between the two beds.
You turned and looked at me. Your face warmed into a smile and you reached for my hand. I took it.
Me: “How can we do better?”
You chuckled again.
I sat on the bedside chair and listened to the banter back and forth between the two beds.
You turned and looked at me. Your face warmed into a smile and you reached for my hand. I took it.
Me: “How can we do better?”
You chuckled again.
6/
Me: “I’m for real!”
Your face grew serious.
You: “Count to five.”
Me: “Say what now?”
You: “Like count to five ‘fore you walk in and ‘fore you walk out. If you do that, that’s all you need.”
*silence*
You: “Do that make sense?”
Me: *slow nod* “Total sense.”
Me: “I’m for real!”
Your face grew serious.
You: “Count to five.”
Me: “Say what now?”
You: “Like count to five ‘fore you walk in and ‘fore you walk out. If you do that, that’s all you need.”
*silence*
You: “Do that make sense?”
Me: *slow nod* “Total sense.”
7/
And so. I stood up and walked over to the door. With my hand on the light switch, I counted to five in my head.
And a few things came to me:
1. Your light had been off before I came in.
2. I’d muted your television and hadn’t turned it back on.
3. I’d left your sock off.
And so. I stood up and walked over to the door. With my hand on the light switch, I counted to five in my head.
And a few things came to me:
1. Your light had been off before I came in.
2. I’d muted your television and hadn’t turned it back on.
3. I’d left your sock off.
8/
I walked back to your bed.
Me: “You okay with me putting things back like I found them? Or something else?”
You: “That sound good.”
And so I did.
Lights off.
Sound on.
Two socks.
And all it took was counting to five.
Me: “I’ll see you a little later.”
I walked back to your bed.
Me: “You okay with me putting things back like I found them? Or something else?”
You: “That sound good.”
And so I did.
Lights off.
Sound on.
Two socks.
And all it took was counting to five.
Me: “I’ll see you a little later.”
9/
You: “Okey doke.”
I stepped out into the hallway. As I stepped away I heard someone calling me and stuck my head into the door.
Neighbor: “Yooooo!! You ain’t ask me what I wanted! Hook me up with some solid food!”
*laughter*
Me: “I’ll pass that on.”
*laughter*
You: “Okey doke.”
I stepped out into the hallway. As I stepped away I heard someone calling me and stuck my head into the door.
Neighbor: “Yooooo!! You ain’t ask me what I wanted! Hook me up with some solid food!”
*laughter*
Me: “I’ll pass that on.”
*laughter*
10/
And so. Today, wherever you are caring for patients, consider my patient’s wise advice and count to five.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
It’s all you need to get off the script and into the person.
Yeah.
💛
#humanismalways
#solidarityweek
And so. Today, wherever you are caring for patients, consider my patient’s wise advice and count to five.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
It’s all you need to get off the script and into the person.
Yeah.
💛
#humanismalways
#solidarityweek
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