Category: Story
-
New Year’s Resolutions
The Nicest Man I received a call from my colleague requesting me to see a new consult. “Janelle, he is the nicest man I have ever met.” Having presented to the hospital with progression of cancer, he opted against advanced or invasive treatment. He simply wished to return home to his wife to spend his… Read more
-
The Greatest Gift
Rushed, hurried, stressed. Time, there is never enough time. There is always enough stuff, too much stuff. It adds to the stress, distracts from the time. Time spent chasing the perfect gift only to be let down when the recipent receives the gift with indifference. Wasting of time and energy, leaving you feeling deflated, disappointed… Read more
-
The Summer of Gnome
Gnomes “Do you see him up there?” She smiles and points up above the window. There sat a cute little gnome. She grabbed my hand and toured me around the house showing me the three others. “Aren’t they cute? They are my gnomes. They are so fun!” I asked, “Why are they so high up… Read more
-
I Love You To The Moon and Back
The first time I was 7-years-old the first time I experienced death. That day remains vividly in my memory though I am sure that nearly 4 decades later, some of the details may be off. It was a Sunday morning in May, 1987. As I exited my bedroom, I noticed that Dad and Mary’s bedroom… Read more
-
The Lake
Success How is success measured? Money? Fame? The size of your house? A recognizable name? Or is it measured by the way we care for others? I have always considered my Uncle Doug to be a successful man by all of the standard measures. Retiring early from a successful engineering career, he began a consulting… Read more
-
Someone needs you…
A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:23-24 Someone needs you. Someone needs you. Someone needs you. Over and over these words flooded my mind from the moment I opened my eyes that morning. I… Read more
-
Never Underestimate the Power of a Cat
She was in the intensive care unit, overwhelmed by infection from wounds she acquired from immobility and poor nutrition. Suffering from a progressive neurological condition at a young age, she was bed bound and relied on her partner as her primary caretaker. Her neurological condition left her unable to speak or swallow. She received all… Read more
-
A Man of God
People will exclaim, “I just love nurse practitioners! What do you do?” Me (generally stated with a smile on my face), “I work in palliative care.” Response (generally stated with a sorrowful look), “Oh, that is so sad. That must be so hard.” There are certainly days when the work is hard, and sad. But… Read more
-
The Formidable Woman
Her oncologist had warned me about her. She was formidable. Difficult. Suffering from a chronic blood disease for which she required bi-weekly blood transfusions, she had just been diagnosed with advanced cancer. While she declined any work-up or treatment for her cancer she insisted on continuing with life-sustaining blood transfusions. This left her oncologist befuddled… Read more
-
The lady on the plane
On Sept 17, 2023, I boarded a flight to Washington D.C. I prayed that during the flight God would use me to be a blessing to someone or that I may be blessed by another. I was in the last group to board the Southwest flight and as is my policy, I chose the first… Read more