Patient: I want to go to the library.
Nurse: What book do you want to read?
Patient: The pokey one.
Nurse: What’s it about?
Patient: A dog that lives behind the library
Nurse: What’s the dogs name?
Patient: Pokey!
Nurse: What does pokey do?
Patient: He bites people and eats bookworms.
Nurse: Who wrote it?
Patient: I did. Just now.
Nurse: Now I can’t wait to read it.
The story of a Bell on a String
A few days ago a resident gave me a small bell tied to a string. She said that I should ring the bell to know what I mean to her.
This is what that bell tells me every time it rings: “I may not remember your name but thank you for being here for me, keeping me safe. I may not know exactly what you do for me but I do know that when I see you I smile and I laugh. You may fade from my thoughts when you walk away but you are always in my heart guiding me to experience joy in my every day. And when you leave here after a long shift feeling as though you may never recover from the exhaustion of being a nurse, ring this bell and know that you made a difference in one life today.”
I keep this tiny bell on a string in my car so that every time I leave the office I am reminded of making a difference in at least one life every day.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
My book Every Minute is a New Day has a crowdfunding page on Kickstarter. Please help spread the word and/or help fund this project. You all have my deepest appreciation. Visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fuzzylizzard/every-minute-is-a-new-day and read about the project
Thank You,
Amy Moloney
Dear Beautiful Readers,
I would like to take a moment to announce that Nurse Bitterpill is in the process of publishing a book based on this blog. It will focus on the language of Dementia. Stay tuned for more information as this process unfolds.
Thank you all so much for the constant love and support you have given over the years. My hope is that this book will help families, friends, nurses, caregivers, doctors, and everyone better communicate with those affected by the many forms of Dementia.
Please feel free to submit quotes and/or stories about Dementia to NurseBitterpill@gmail.com and I will submit them on the blog.
Love,
Amy
A Short Story inspired by a few of the women I cared for.
The Cat’s Meow
By Amy Moloney
Lilly loved to dance. She would spend her days swaying to the rhythm in her mind. When she was not dancing, she would care for her neighbors. That is after she finds the cat meowing for his dinner. The old folks around her were always in need of assistance. Lilly felt it was up to her to help.
When she heard the baby crying she would spend hours holding the child in her arms. Lilly took great care to make the sure the child felt loved completely. But again the cat would meow to be let into the house. Where is that cat, she wonders.
Somehow the doors are all locked. The cat continues to meow. Oh well, Lilly thinks, after dinner the cat can come in. After the meal arrives she helps the nice young girls with the dishes until all of the tables are clean as a whistle. Then when everyone was settling down for the night Lilly helps tuck them in. She hears that cat meowing again. Maybe he needs some milk, she concludes to herself.
There he is all curled up in the corner, Lilly notices. She continues thinking about what a sweet cat he is.
“Lilly,” she hears someone calling for her. “Lilly, it is time for bed.”
Oh, so soon? Lilly thinks to herself about how she just got started on the day. She hasn’t even found the cat yet. He keeps meowing to come inside. “I’m not tired, dear. Can I make you a nice cup of tea? We can sit and play with the cat for a while.” Lilly motions for the young girl to sit beside her.
The young girl smiles at Lilly and agrees to sit with her. Lilly hears the cat scratching at the door again. “Do you hear the cat scratching to get in?” Lilly asks the girl.
“No Lilly, I don’t. Do you want me to go check for you?” She asks politely.
“Thank you, dear. I think the cat may be getting cold, being outside for so long. Oh my, I hear the baby crying again. Do you mind if I go check on her? She is probably hungry.”
The young girl walks with Lilly to her bedroom. Lilly finds herself feeling tired. But she cannot quite remember why she should be so sleepy. There is so much work to do. Feeling tired just is not an option in Lilly’s mind.
She asks the young girl with her, “Dear, what time is it? Should I feed the cat? It must be early. The sun isn’t out yet. Is my husband home from his fishing trip?” Lilly feels a little foolish for not knowing. She has been working so hard lately with the babies and has the farm to care for. Lilly rationalizes that the stress is making her a bit forgetful. There is so much on her mind; sleep will have to wait until later.
Lilly lies down on the bed that the nice girl turned down for her. Lilly decides to indulge the girl and sit there quietly for a little while. The girl promised to watch after the babies while she napped. Such a sweet young lady, Lilly thought.
Lilly closes her eyes for a moment like the young lady asked her to do. There goes that cat again. Why is that silly old cat meowing so loudly, Lilly continued to ponder. Lilly wants to get up again to check on the cat. But her eyes are so heavy. Oh, the cat will be fine outside for one night. If only the cat would quit crying, she could let herself fall asleep. It must be morning by now. The cat has been outside all night. Lilly tries to get up to check but a sweet young woman encourages her to relax in bed for a while longer.
Lilly falls asleep as the nurse turns out the lights.
The nurse smiles and walks out of the room knowing that Lilly will have the same day tomorrow as she had today, hopefully with a bit more dancing.
So is life inside the world of Alzheimer’s.
*This is a fictional story of a woman with Alzheimer’s.
Nurse Bitterpill [dot] com 