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ARE ENOUGH. THEYOU EXPERIENCE HAD ME BY NICOLE HEROUX WILLIAMS I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIO BY OMENESA ORUMA AKOMOLAFE
Since I returned from the hospital from Kidney Failure, I have become a different person. Not so far out(because I try daily to become a better version of myself), but a lot better of a person, in terms of my eating and self-care habits. I have been on sick leave for a week now. I finally went to work last night and I could notice that I didn’t only have an experience of being sick,, but the experience had me. Being in the hospital, sick as a dog, throwing up for days, fear and trepidation of if I was going to make it all not, being a patient. .....all of that had me. I am usually a fast-paced person. I do everything in a hurry and I surprisingly have almost perfect results. I say almost because I guess that small percentage of imperfection is coming from being fast-paced 😆, but I do a good job and present satisfactory results at the end. Nevertheless, being at work last night, I noticed I was slower in walking. I was calmer in talking. I was more empathic towards my patients(Because I was recently a patient). I was more calculated in using my body mechanics. I was careful of not bending but rather kneeling. Not only that, but I was intentional in how I used my arms to hold my patient while robbing lotion on their back or helping them with positioning. I did it lovingly, so I wouldn’t bear pain in my arm or cause pain to them. I was good to myself. I was thinking about my body and kidneys. I was treating them nicely by not sprinting everywhere, but walking carefully. I kept 130
ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE : OCTOBER EDITION 2021
in mind that my kidneys are healing, and so with care, I’ve been carrying myself. I did everything gracefully, from changing my patient’s diapers, to going an extra mile in getting a straw for a patient who asked for it, but I knew he didn’t need it. I did everything I have always done, but differently. With compassion and grace. The experience or sickness went through me. It made me a better person. I was a
patient and could now understand some needs and demands of my patients. I could see how I wanted to be treated by my Nurses and Doctors. I could understand their pain and their incessant need to use the call bell. I, too, pressed that bell like a maniac when I was in the hospital. I can suddenly relate. I have also noticed that I eat differently, and I now keep water by my bed side. I drink a lot of fluids, and for
every drink I drink other than water, I drink a glass of water to match it. I envision washing my kidneys with love. I envision keeping my body hydrated. I also speak to my kidneys daily. I thank them for being there for me. I thank every part of my body for functioning properly, and I decree and declare that they will be healthy. As I treat them with respect, they too will treat me with respect. This is a powerful routine I have begun. Words of affirmations. Body scanning. Very refreshing and liberating. There are so many changes that have occurred in my life lately, in just under a week. From calling people I haven’t heard from in years, to guarding my peace and not having unnecessary conversations pr confrontations. All these new pacts came from the threat of losing my life, and now that God gave me a miracle, I intend to stay alive. That’s going to happen by not only prayer, but by action. I will need to play a role in my longevity. Not only have I become a better Caregiver to my patients, I have become a better Caregiver to myself. I remember when my mother was dealing with breast cancer. I swore I would never have anything to do with the medical profession. My father looked at me and said, “You will do very well”. The moment I became a Certified Nursing Assistant, I understood what he meant. Now that I have fought for my life as a patient, I understand more. Sometimes we experience situations, and in return, situations experience us.
