Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado, click
here to update your pages on AuthorsDen.
Nurse Stories, Part Twenty-Six: Childhood Should Be Free of Pain or Injury! (By Julie "Jules" Montenegra, R.N.) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Monday, November 1, 2004
Rated "PG" by the Author.
An emergency room nurse shares some of her stories involving children who were in her care.
I try to go on, but when I see a young face riddled with pain, or see little ones gasping for each and every breath, I can't help but feel a little intimidated or even scared. As a mother to two little boys myself, I somehow see my own two boys, Tristan (six), or Trevino (two) in each little face, and I can't help but feel a little uneasy.
Just as bad as envisioning my two boys on the gurney is seeing a child who appears more dead than alive, and you suddenly realize just how precious life can be and how quickly death can come and snatch a child away. I have seen far too many little ones lying so still and so limp, with only the EKG monitor or the sound of oxygen going through the Ambu bag indicating that the person is not dead, but alive (but barely so). I have seen once happy, vibrant youngsters go downhill, and one minute the child is laughing, playing, or enjoying life; and the next, you are shoving a tube down their throat, hoping desperately that you can get this young life going again. It puts an entirely new perspective on how quick a life can end, and it makes the situation at hand all the more serious.
I also have seen kids who were mortally injured, and yet somehow, through an unexplained miracle, they survive, and they are soon back to their former, active selves again. I also have seen kids who were expected to recover develop sudden problems, and they end up crashing; and it takes all of our wits, knowhow, and skill to try to revive the kid. A lot of times, kids who were once at death's door recover (like with Johnny Sandusky and Ronee' Reaux, two children I have come to know and love; they are the adopted son and daughter of my supervisor, Louisiana Sandusky) and continue TO do well, but more often than not, a kid will somehow end up disabled or scarred for life because their injury or illness was so serious. I remember a little boy who had NecFac (necrotizing fasciitis, otherwise known as "flesh-eating disease"; it is a horrible thing to experience and deal with), and although he tried to die on several occasions, he lived; but he is now missing part of his face, and his life will no longer be the same. I also remember a little girl who was found outside during a frigid cold spell, and she was brought to our E.R., cold, limp, and the color of old snow. She lived; but she now faces horrendous disabilities, and she is now in a wheelchair, unable to do much for herself. She is now five; this happened when she was two. I also remember a little boy who was burned when he knocked over a jack-o-lantern, and even though his burns weren't considered to be life-threatening, they were still serious, and it ended up that he died from a massive staph infection that invaded his little body; and nothing could be done to bring him back. He was but three years old.
Kids shouldn't have to suffer things like pain or sickness, and kids shouldn't have to worry about things like going to the hospital and getting needles put in by bad, mean strangers in white coats whose only intention is to hurt children and bring them pain. Little children oftentimes don't understand that we often have to CAUSE pain in order to help them get better; all they know is that we are going to hurt them; and it is no wonder they are terrified out of their wits. They don't understand that we have to check their body parts, to make sure they are in good working order; and if they aren't, then we have to help them. They also don't understand that we are people too, and we love children, even though we may have to do "bad things" to them, to help them recover from their injury or illness.
This is why we are armed with a whole array of special toys or treats, to reward the children for being "brave" during their hospital experience, and to help them feel a little better. This is why we offer extra hugs and kisses, and this is why we often read to them or play with them, as a way of helping them deal with the trauma that hospital stays often bring; and we hope to teach them that hospitals, as scary as they can be, can also be fun if they know the right people or have family involved in their care. We encourage parents to stay with their kids (especially if they are under the age of 13); they are understandably frightened: they don't know what their illness or injury is going to entail, and they don't know what is going to happen to them or why. We encourage our young patients to cry or scream as loud as they can, anything to let out pent up fear or emotion, and we tell them that it is okay to cry because we don't like to hurt them or do "bad things" to them any more than they do. We may be nurses or doctors, but we are human too, and we feel pain and feel fear too, just like our patients and their families.
Kids should enjoy life, not fear it, and if we, as nurses, can help ease any fears about hospitals or emergency medicine, then I say go for it. They deserve to be happy at least for a little while, and if we can help them deal with their fears or concerns, then we have done our job. Kids may be scared at first, but they are resilient, and they never cease to amaze me with their willpower and courage to overcome even the worst possible traumas of life.
Pain and suffering in the young strikes home as an intollerable injustice, yet it is a reality of life on this "cursed" earth. It is well to realize that the mind and soul must be treated as part of the total human package. When the spirit ascends on wings of hope, miracles happen. As Alexander Dumas said in "The Count of Monte Christo"; 'the soul sets its own horizons.' Thanks for an excellent write.
There was a doctor who wrote a book called. "I do not accept children dying." It was a wonderful story about a surgeon that operated on impossible cases. As a nurse I was always bothered by the kids especially the ones that died for no reason. Another powerful story.
heartbreaking--but sickness and death are not exclusive to adults--they are particularly ravaging in children, as your dramatic telling unfolds--powerful writing!
A poignant story about letting go of a narcissist in your life. Have you ever been attacked FULL force by a narcissist? It's the closest thing to being stabbed over and over in the back.
Suspenseful and close to home, Rain of Deception 2 will leave you in Tears. Much like Part 1, this will shocking sequel will keep you on the edge of your fingertips.
A poignant story about letting go of a narcissist in your life. Have you ever been attacked FULL force by a narcissist? It's the closest thing to being stabbed over and over in the back.
I try to go on, but when I see a young face riddled with pain, or see little ones gasping for each and every breath, I can't help but feel a little intimidated or even scared. As a mother to two little boys myself, I somehow see my own two boys, Tristan (six), or Trevino (two) in each little face, and I can't help but feel a little uneasy.
