Humanity

I am a caregiver in my work. I take care of patients heart health. I am part of the care team at a busy cardiology practice. I work closely with many caring, super intelligent physicians, PA’s, nurse practitioners. We are all caregivers.

The other day, I was taking care of a gentleman, he had a stroke and walked with a walker. He could not drive and lived in an assisted living facility. A driver had dropped him off and we consulted and I walked back to the waiting room with him. I asked him if he saw his driver while standing in the busy waiting room. “No, I don’t see him.” And I asked him if he remembered what he told him before he left, “I don’t remember.”

We walked over and sat down and I asked him if he had any paperwork generated from the driver or where he lived. “I don’t know.” He was a kind gentleman and I didn’t press him beyond that. There were people around me that had heard what we were discussing. “Can I help you with this gentleman?” Another older gentleman asked me. It made me realize that this guy was trying to help me help others. “Thank you so much, you don’t know how much this means to me.” But I’m going to get him some help, thank you.

“Hang right here” I told my patient and I smiled, he fist bumped me and I walked up to the front desk and asked them the details about how he got dropped off and that I needed some help. They had the computer and could look up his details, numbers to his place, to the driver’s service. I didn’t have this information and neither did the patient. I looked at the young girl who was helping me, “I’m going back to tell him to wait here.” And I let her know to watch him closely, there was a distinct possibility that he may get up and wonder off. “Ok Adam, I will take care of this and watch him.” I have to trust her. I have other patients, other duties and I looked at her and gave her my best, don’t screw up look, however you do that.

I went back to the patient and explained to him to sit tight, do not move, we were taking care of getting a hold of his driver. We will get you home. “Ok Adam, I’ll stay right here.” And I spoke to him through my eyes, “Please stay right here.” That’s when another older gentlemen walked over to me and asked if he could help and held his hand out with a kind gesture.

I started to lose it right there. My eyes started to well up with tears, my throat got tight, my eyes wanted to squint. I can’t stand crying at work. I don’t like it. People sometimes die, they have heart problems and we help them but time is much stronger than good medicine, modern procedures and even a team of care givers working together. I’m invested in my work, twenty years working here, five years in cardiovascular sciences program before, seven years of anesthesia in surgery before, seven years of working on a heart team before than and my time in the army before that. Not too many jobs but all in the service of people.

I looked at him and said, “you sir, are so kind but thank you for asking.” And he could see that I was emotional, crying inside but suppressing it. His driver is on the way. I looked at my patient, “stay right here ok?” “I will.

I had another patient information I had to discuss with a cardiologist and I walked away with intent to check back on him. We discussed a difficult ECG and it was decided that we will continue to monitor. The physician office was beyond the long hallway, one hundred and forty three steps long. I stopped back by the waiting room and my patient was gone. I walked up to the front desk and asked my co-worker if the driver had come to pick him up. “No, not yet.” I looked at her, she has not been at the practice very long, “He is not here” pointing to where he was sitting. The three other front desk people looking at me, they know something was about to happen. “I asked you to help me help him so I could continue my day.” I started to leave to go look for my patient. We are on the second floor, he could not have gone too far.

“Adam, I’m just screwing with you, the driver picked him up.” The front desk people got me!!! Everyone knows me, I’ve been there so long and I make it a point to try to have an appropriate connection, conversations with my coworkers. We are all so diverse, me being this old white guy that was literally born just down the road and lived in the area of our office. The others from all around Phoenix and from Mexico and all parts. We all smiled and laughed, “you got me.” That was a good one.

I love it when we can care, have a little fun and no one gets their feelings hurt and we get our jobs done.

I’m going to work as long as I can, as long as my capacity to care and I am able to be effective to what I do. I believe that this is what I am supposed to do, continue to work and care.