My friend, Gladys, fell in Sunday and broke her hip. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Several church members met her daughter, Barbara, in the emergency room.
Her surgery was set for Monday EARLY. Several of us were at the hospital to sit with Barb during the surgery. When her heart did a flip-flop and she was moved from regular recover to coronary care we helped Barbara move all her things and set up shop in this new area. It was decided that Kaitlin would spend Monday night with Barb, JanR Tuesday night and KimT Wednesday night.
Tuesday we got the news that Gladys had had a heart attack and that it was not her first and it didn't look good. The heart doctor said that she could last 2 days, 2 weeks or 2 years. Gladys was very lucid and talked to every one that day. She wanted to know who all was at the hospital to visit her and was ready to come out to the waiting room to see everyone. She was not in much pain. She made us laugh. My favorite thing she said was once when she had to take out her teeth, "Now don't be shocked, I am going to look like a grandma." We all laughed. I was thinking that at 95 she still doesn't think of her self as looking like a grandma! (I want to be that way)
Wednesday morning Kaitlin and I both woke up earlier than planned and we made it to the hospital at 5:45AM. We expected to help Barb and Jan fold up their blankets and sit with their stuff while they got ready for the day. Jan and Barbara were already up and visiting with nurse, Sarah. They were somber looking. The nurse told them that Gladys had had some problems in the night and it didn't look good. She took them back at 6am. Because we were there, we could sit with all their stuff. Gladys talked to them and they told her they loved her. She had some discomfort but responded to them. They came back to us at 6:25. At 6:45 the nurse came back out and said that she was unconscious. They went back and were with her when she slipped peaceable away to heaven.
Now to the rest of the story...
JanR is a nurse and an instructor and nurse Sarah is a student of JanR's. When you are in Coronary Care you are assigned A nurse not a team. What are the chances that Gladys' nurse would be a student of JanR's???
Gladys died when JanR, the nurse and friend, was with Barb, not Kaitlin or KimT. JanR had to go to a funeral on Wednesday morning. Gladys died so early that JanR could do all she needed to do, give us some suggestions on other things that needed to be done and even make the funeral.
Nurse Sarah let Barb and JanR stay with Gladys and she came out to tell Kaitlin and me that Gladys died. She even brought us a box of tissues. Barb asked her if she could tell us so that we could start calling folks because Barbara didn't think she could.
As draining as grief is I felt like we had seen God. All of us involved agreed that the details could not have worked out so well without His hand directing everything.
Kaitlin tweeted on Wednesday that she was having a crummy day. Andrew read that and then sent her a text. He said that Gladys wasn't having a crummy day. We all needed to hear that.
To God Be the Glory
2 comments:
That's beautiful. What a wonderful and good God we serve!
I already knew you girls were angels in disguise. Now, everyone else knows that you're so much more...you're vessels fit for His honor and service to those you love who are in need. I'm just praising God for His perfect timing and your precious and immediate obedience. I love you!
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