Saturday, January 9, 2010

Final

Thank you for the kind words from yesterday's post.  Please forgive any spelling and gramatical blunders I may have in this one.  My eyes are heavy from lack of sleep. 

I stayed with my uncle last night, in his hospital room. My sister and I, so my mom, step-dad and another uncle could get some sleep. We held uncle's hand, rubbed his head and wiped his tears as he went through wave after wave of pain.  It is an interesting experience to walk someone through death - not just someone, but someone you love.  I noticed, this afternoon, that he had bruised my hand.  Poor uncle - his pain was intense.  (It reminded me of childbirthing pains - only the complete opposite yet so life transforming).

I got home to sleep this morning at 9, after my step-dad bought my sister and I breakfast.  At 11 I was walking out the door to go to music practice and my cell phone ran.

At 10:55 this morning, my uncle got complete escape from his pain.  He is at rest now and, though tears have fallen, I am so relieved for him.

I want to thank the nurses for the kindness, the compassion and the love my uncle received in the care of our hospital.  I would also like to thank them for those same things for us.  We were well taken care of by those wonderful men and women.  The small gestures they made for us and towards my uncle that are immeasurable in the demonstrative way that they impacted our hearts - the way they would gently touch his head to say goodbye as they were leaving shift (hoping for his sake that it would be the last time they could say goodbye) or the way they would file into his room in the morning as soon as shift started to give him a gentle touch and kind words - even nurses that weren't assigned to him that day.

We are so appreciative of you, what you do and the heart you do it with!  My words are non-descript as to how I truly feel for you all.

Y'all rock!

Once I get some sleep, I will be ok, so don't let your heart be heavy for me.  My uncle's pain is over; he doesn't have to fight anymore and for that, I am grateful.

2 comments:

  1. I'm sorry for your loss, but am so glad that your uncle is restored! praying!

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  2. I'm so very sorry for your loss. It sounds like he is more comfortable and perhaps even at peace now, though, and was blessed to have you there with the rest of your family to be with him.

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