2 new hospice patients

from 3:00 - 5:00pm

i have 2 new patients for my hospice volunteer thingie, 1 male (T) and another female (J)...... i now have 4 in all......


so how was it?

i went to visit on sunday instead of the usual saturday because i was swamped last saturday with practices and errands and a friend's bday..... i just had to sacrifice some of my other sunday activities/obligations so i could do my hospice visits.......



=== (I) ===

as usual i had fun visiting (I)... when she saw me the first thing she asked me to do is to wheel her up and down the hallway which i so willingly obliged.... she liked it when you put your chin on her knee while she tells her stories.....i usually sit on the floor infront of her and i like staring at her eyes that's why i get tempted to rest my chin on her lap...... when i do that she'll lift both her hands towards me to cup my face with her hands, i like how that feels, she's a sweetheart...... she kept asking me "are you leaving?" to which i always said no but it did made it harder to say goodbye when it was really time to leave...




=== (T) ===

i visited (T) next...it was supposed to be (P) but the nurse was changing her when i peeked into P's room.... (T) was at the dining room watching tv....he's not on a wheelchair, he was lying on a chair that looks like a portable bed.... anyway, i introduced myself, touched his hand and and he just kept saying "thank you" and i just kept saying "you're most welcome".....i just stood beside him at the dining room rubbing his left arm most of the time because he looked like he's intently watching what's on the TV......




=== (J) ===

after i left (T) i went to look for (J)'s room....it turned out (J) was just behind me while i was with (T)..... (J)'s a very pleasant woman.... she started kinda giggling when i introduced myself that i'm her new friend.... i asked how she's been and she replied but i really didnt understand what she said..... note to self: don't ask her too many questions...she was touching her throat while she talks, that it looked like talking is bothering her..... anyway, i just rubbed her arms, held hands with her..... i was teasing her that her hands were cold and i would start "sandwiching" her hand with mine to make it warm and she would start to chuckle...... she has a very kind face and you can see from her eyes how glad she is that you're there sitting right next to her......




=== (P) ===

last patient i visited is (P)... i found her awake when i peeked into her room......i introduced myself to her again because i'm not sure if she recognizes me or remembers me since most of my patients has dementia...... i asked how she's been, which i really think is an inappropriate question but sometimes out of habit i would just blurt that question out......anyway, this time she let me touch her hand (remember, she used to make a fist everytime i touch her hand?).... she looked like she's bothered with strands of her hair falling down her face so i had to help her tie her hair in a bun, (well, somewhat a bun because i don't have a rubber band with me and even if i do i'm not sure if that would feel comfortable) to which strands of hair would just start falling down her face again every after few minutes that i have to redo the bun ever so often to keep the strands of hair from falling on her face...... she also kept rubbing her left eye, i think that's bothering her too........ anyway, i read to her for a bit (i brought lord of the flies).... i complimented her purple nail polish again but i noticed it has started to chip off so i asked her if she wants me to bring a nail polish next time so we could try another color..... i wasnt sure if her moving her head means a yes or a no but i had to ask my volunteer coordinator if i could do that...... i also complimented her ring, she looked pleased when i told her the ring looked really pretty and that i like its intricate details.....

well, i guess that's it for now... till next week....

oh btw, my coordinator was asking me if i can do visits at doylestown....i'm visiting patients from the lansdale facility which is a 30-min drive from where i live and doylestown is another 7-minute drive which is really no biggie so i'll prolly say yes as long as they're ok that i can only do visits, at most, 2 hours every weekend which also meant 4 patients a week.....



p.s.
why am i doing this?
i just need to do something worthwhile..
i have been wanting to join a volunteer org back in the philippines
(breakfast club, kythe, pugad sa busko, etc) but i never got the chance....
and being an SFC (singles for christ) is not enough for me.... i need
"practical applications"