Sometimes It's Good To Cry

If you read the About Me page on my website ( https://thegreenfiguy.com/about-thegreenfiguy ) , you can see that I’m also an Intensive Care Nurse. For over 6 years I work on the Intensive Care Unit at a large University Hospital and we get some really ill patients from time to time. And with that said…. I see lot’s of beautiful moments but unfortunately also a lot of cruel and sad moments in the life of people.

In the past 6 years, I have grown my skills as an Intensive Care Nurse, supported many families and loved ones, stood next to young and old people while their family member, father/mother, brother /sister went through a very heavy and difficult period.
So through these years, I developed a “professional distance” which is needed to keep doing this demanding job.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

But once in a while, there are situations you get more emotionally involved with a situation. It’s hard to say what triggers this involvement. Is it the person standing in front of you? Is it the expression on his or her face? Is it because of the same age you have? Or is it the story behind the person who lays in bed. Al questions I can’t give an answer to.

Eventually yesterday I had such an experience after a long time. I’m almost 2 meters (6,5 feet) tall. And the son of my patient was even 3 centimeters taller than I was. So we could communicate at eye level. What does not happen very often because of my length! 😉

The situation was complicated by the fact that his mother was in my Intensive Care Unit, and very very ill. Though his father was in another hospital rehabilitating after a major surgery. The situation was worsening and we needed to get the husband to our Intensive Care Unit, so he could see his wife.
Luckily the doctors of my ward, the doctors of the ward of the other hospital and the ambulance service worked well together and within 60 minutes the husband was on his way to our Intensive Care Unit.

Then there was this incredible moment where the family could be together for a while.

We worked very hard to keep my patiënt alive. But unfortunately, our efforts didn’t pay off. So early in the evening, my patient died.

These situations happen in my job. But after getting a hug from a 6.5 feet, athletic person. I also got tears in my eyes.

Those are the moments that you know you did something right. Then you know you’ve made sure that these people have had a last moment together.

This experience gave me goosebumps, tears in my eyes! But it also gave me a beautiful feeling, that I’ve had contributed to a moment that was so valuable that it can not be expressed in money. A moment this husband and son would always remember because it was that last moment they’ve had seen each other before she died.

When I got home a ran into this video on Youtube

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…… And it gave me a moment of reflection…

I hope you enjoy it too.