This is a letter of thanks to the third floor nursing staff of the Penticton hospital who have been so kind, considerate and understanding over the past month. My mom suffered a massive stroke on Oct. 21 that took most of the mobility from her left arm and leg but allowed her speech, her memory and intellect to remain largely unaffected. Mom’s very active, social and independent lifestyle suddenly shrunk down to the narrow confines of a four-bed hospital room with constantly changing roommates, daily intrusive routines and little privacy. At 80, she has had to adjust to this new reality of pureed meals, daily medications (and their unwanted side effects) and the loss of dignity that hospital procedures invariably strip away.
Through it all, the third floor nursing staff has helped Mom to cope with her new situation. They have reassured her when she has woken frightened and disoriented by the hallucinatory aspect of her drugs or the strangeness of her new surroundings. They have patiently fed her the new diet that she has had to contend with, due to a lack of reliable swallowing reflex, and laughingly parried her requests for “tea” and other foods, that had become dangerous for her. (Thankfully Mom has recently improved enough to be allowed a cup of her beloved Timmy’s!)
These compassionate nurses have washed and “styled” Mom’s hair, taken time to share a quick chat and tried to afford her some dignity and normalcy in what can be a very exposed and vulnerable situation and, for this, we are extremely grateful. I’m sure that they would be as thankful to know that any of their loved ones would receive the same kind of attention and care as Mom, and by extension her family, has had in their place.
Christine Stasiuk
Penticton
