As of today, C has been here in this hospital for 38 days. We have had many good nurses, techs, RTs, and therapists. I am impressed by the patience and compassion most of the nurses have, but one event stands out.

Most of C’s confusion had resolved, except when waking from sleep. One day, waking from a nap, Chuck saw the bathroom to his left and thought he could just walk in there and use the toilet. He was hooked up to a heart monitor, pulse ox, and feeding pump. He was also just beginning to stand for a few seconds, not yet able to walk. So, when he stood to go to the bathroom, his heart rate shot up, and tele immediately called his nurse (thank you, tele.) to ask if PT was working with C.

This special RN was in another room, but stopped what they were doing and ran (yes, ran) to C’s room to find him standing next to the bed. I arrived to see people running to his room. Had this RN not responded so quickly, C surely would have fallen; but the reason Bola stood out among the rest is for what happened next…

When C realized what he had done, he felt absolutely terrible for doing it. His feeding tube was out, and he would have to go to IR to have it put back in. Bola leaned over the bed, looked C in the eye, and said softly, “C, you did nothing wrong. You have nothing to feel bad about. There was no harm done.” This was exactly what he needed to hear. I saw him calm down right away when he heard him say it. It was so very kind, and I will never forget it.