Some of the People I Meet Along the Way (Part 2)

This is Terri, and she has been helping us out since my dad arrived on this floor. She was asked to change my dad's dressings for the myriad holes that had been made in his body, and to clean all of those incisions he had. She's an LPN at the hospital, and she has just been dynamite.

As she stood at the bedside, she explained thoroughly everything she was doing, and what each wound, hole, and dressing was from. It was great because none of us knew exactly what was going on with my dad. She had a very gentle and caring bedside manner that night, and it really did a lot to make my dad feel safe and encouraged in a VERY scary situation.

On Monday, the day he had such repeated setbacks, she made it a point to come into the room and be the person who change the dressing on his wounds again. I think she did it purely to be an encouragement to dad and the family, and to be a friendly and calming voice in the hospital. There's a lot of hustle and bustle in this place, and I can see how easy it might be for one to become callous (and if that happens, it's probably time to find a new career or take a vacation).

There has been a lot happening with my dad, and for the folks on this floor, my dad's situation is probably routine, but it is not routine for us. Everyone has been really helpful here, but Terri has just really stood out as a friendly voice on the day my dad arrived on this floor. Some of what was happening up to that point was a mystery, but she explained everything to us. She asked dad as she was cleaning him if he had ever used alcohol (to clean wounds) before. I responded, "He doesn't drink, but if you think it will help with the pain he's willing to start!" She just about lost it laughing at that statement.

I talked with Terri briefly on my way out the other night, and told her what a great witness she was to the deep love God has for us. She told me that she looks at her work in the hospital as an opportunity to bring a little bit of the light of Christ's love into each patient's room by listening and serving in whatever way she could.

I'm thankful for the faith and the attitude of service of people like her in the world. She has been an encouragement to us, and I'm sure the same is true for many other patients and families here in this hospital.