I remember the monitor beeps as I first walked into the room. It looked stale, the walls were white along with the sheets and the floor. I turned to my patient, her eyes kind, but her voice shaky. Her blue eyes were the only form of communication we had at our first meeting. I could tell she couldn’t speak. I thought maybe she was uncomfortable or maybe she was in pain? Thinking on my feet, I notice vibrant greeting cards by her bed and tentatively pick one up with care. I asked her if she wanted me to read it, and she answered with a smile. I opened it and realized it was a Christmas card, from her dear friend ‘Jenna‘. Along with a card was a picture of my patient before hospice care during holiday times. I show her the picture and she stares at the photo with a pensive expression. That visit I read my patient that greeting card at least a dozen times. Each time she smiled lovingly and stared at the card again, signaling that she wanted me to read it another time. From that visit, I realized how much my patient valued my time even though I just sat there rereading the same greeting card with the same message. Each time she smiled so brightly with tears in her eyes. I never knew my presence could mean so much to anyone.
When I came back for each visit I learned little by little more about my patient through reading the greeting cards by her bed. I learned about her family and kids, and what she used to like back home, all through these cards signed by her dear friend ‘Jenna’ on each one. Each card was written in a different season and a promise to visit. I could tell how much ‘Jenna’ meant to my patient by the look on her face when I reread the card each time. We would talk about the color and images on the card. There were images of animals and flowers, but the ones I remember most were holiday greeting cards. These cards reflected the decoration in my patient’s room which was covered in Santa and little reindeers. My patient’s blanket was even a Christmas Santa with a Reindeer on it. We would talk and laugh about the little stuffed toys scattered around the room. Using these greeting cards I was able to connect on a personal level to the patient I was seeing.
I will never forget what my patient said to me while I was visiting a few weeks ago. She told me to “Stay Safe” and to “Be Good” as I was leaving the visit. It was something that shocked me as I only spoke to my patient using these greeting cards, but to know my patient shared a deep connection with me as well. It was nice to know that the visits I was making with my patients made a little bit of a difference in her life when her family couldn’t visit. It was nice to know I brought a little bit of joy each day in that stale hospital bedroom.