Trees in the Hospital

Nursing is an art:  and if it is to be made an art, it requires an exclusive devotion as hard a preparation, as any painter's or sculptor's work; for what is the having to do with dead canvas or dead marble, compared with having to do with the living body, the temple of God's spirit?  It is one of the Fine Arts:  I had almost said, the finest of Fine Arts.                                        ~Florence Nightingale



I'm in this sterile environment wishing I was home with my own dirt.  Even with the fun up, down, longer, shorter, bend-in-the-middle bed, I'd rather be home.  Even with the ready availability of fluids, antibiotics and pain medicines, home is still my choice.  But since I'm stuck here, let me tell you about the sheltering going on at Saint John’s. 

Clear liquids isn't my choice of meal fare.  Although if you wait enough hours to eat, beef broth is quite filling.  Unfortunately, when I'm used to RB delivering clear amber tea in the morning, the ugly cloudy tea just doesn't cut it.  Enter beautiful Janelle! (The fanged one who takes my blood)  WITH Tazo tea -- made just the way she knows I like it.  Ah...shelter.  Spending her 45-minute break by my cell, making me belly laugh in spite of the pain...  Yes, that's sheltering.

And the chaplain that stopped by my room wanting to know if I had a spiritual advisor…  I pointed to RB (which tickled me for some reason).  I'd rather RB pray with me than anyone.  His prayers go clear to the top!  It was sweet that the chaplain prayed with us though, our hands representing the triune God as he asked for wisdom for the doctors.

Joy-bringers: Melanie and Camron

Renee's Karen Kingsbury book, Unlocked, has sure kept my mind busy.  I rarely read fiction, but Kingsbury is one I really enjoy.  She writes good emotion.  Renee might not have known how important it would be to have that book to read when she loaned it to me.  It's already done its share of sheltering.

Janelle, my friend and phlebotomist

And the lotion, brought by my Melanie – great stuff (but not quite the best gift she brought -- that was Camron) -- and how can you not feel sheltered with a foot rub?  Being a momma with four children makes it hard to shelter, so the gift was shared by Shawn who for two days has freed Melanie to bring some love and shelter to me.

Facebook and e-mail and text messages.  A husband who slept in the craziest chair so I wouldn't be alone.  From nurses who answer every question and deliver meds on time to the dear elderly nurse who took my vitals and the nutritionist who brought liquids with a smile and solids right on time.  From the kind woman who cleaned my room to my doctor who is trying to make an educated "guess" to the nature of the illness, I've been sheltered. 

15 minutes and she'll be walking through that door!

This hospital stuff isn't too bad.  But waiting for another hour and a half is.  Because then my sweet Emily will return home from five days in Washington DC.  She's kept in touch, but nothing will equal that hug.  That just might be the best medicine of all.

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