Waiting for Papaw
I am under the belief that the concept of time as we know it, does not exist in hospitals. Upon entering, one loses all sense of what time it is, what day of the week it is, and how long they’ve been there. Hospitals are places of healing, of caring, of great medical advancements and live saving procedures. They are a place of second chances, of last chances, and sometimes very little chance at all. They are also a place for dying.
I learned all of this and then some during the eighteen days in December that I spent at my grandfather’s bedside in Holy Spirit Hospital.
My grandfather went into the hospital with the symptoms of a stroke on Saturday, December 13, 2003. He spent the first 4 days of his stay in a coma, induced by the doctors’ misdiagnosis of his condition. My grandfather had not had a stroke, in fact he had a condition in which his liver was overloaded with toxins and was shutting down. It was a problem he’d been suffering from for quite some time; however, none of his doctors had diagnosed his symptoms correctly. The sedative they gave him upon arrival in the emergency room only worsened his condition. Upon waking up, he had to be restrained to prevent him from removing his IVs and attempting to get out of bed. He improved steadily over the next few days, and we were expecting to have him home soon. Unfortunately, he was left unrestrained one evening and was able to remove his IV, catheter, and then climb out of bed. The nurses found him on the floor of his bathroom. How long he was there, we’ll never know, because the time the nurses told us he was found, we know is not correct. He was given another dose of a sedative which caused him to be extremely disoriented the following morning, yet his old self was still shining through.
“Papaw,” I asked upon arriving in his room that morning, “Why are you so tired today?”
“Because I made 300 faustnauhts last night.” He replied without hesitation. Now, I can imagine that anyone would be tired from that, but where my grandfather came up with the word “faustnauht” instead of “donut”, I’ll never know.
On Christmas Eve, after spending eleven days in the same hospital bed, he lost circulation in his left leg and had to undergo surgery.
In July of 2010 in Miami, Florida, Richard Smith, a 79-year-old dialysis patient was admitted to the ICU after a dialysis appointment left him with severe shortness of breath. The following day after being admitted the patient complained of an upset and the doctor had prescribed him an antacid. Uvo Ologboride, the nurse taking care of Mr. Smith, gave him a deadly dose of a drug called pancuronium, which is a drug that induces paralysis, instead of the antacid. 30 minutes later the patient was found unresponsive, but they were able to revive him. Unfortunately when he was revived, he was left brain dead to which did not settle well with his family. When the patient son had came in he had found his father unconscious, unresponsive, and on a respirator. When looking over the chart to try and figure out what happened it had said his dad had just been resuscitated 10 minutes earlier and the nurse had pretty much told him to go and speak with the doctor. Upon speaking to the doctor he was told the nurse had given his dad the wrong medication which lead to his current state of his condition. The nurse was not able to be reached and spoken to about what happened on that fatal day but from what the doctor had explained was the nurse had grabbed a
It was the beginning of February when my grandfather was going in to receive his second knee replacement. Being his second time, we were optimistic that the surgery would go well and that he would recover without any issues. My grandfather made it through surgery and accordingly, had to stay for observation. During this time everything appeared to be normal, and knowing that my grandfather hates to be in hospitals, wouldn’t have said otherwise. When he was finally discharged, we took him home and the next day he appeared to have a stroke. The left side of his face had drooped down and he began feeling numbness and tingling on both sides of his body. We immediately rushed him to the hospital and at first it was assumed it was a stroke, but as his illness progressed it was apparent it was not. The numbness soon led to the loss of muscle control beginning at his legs and rapidly spreading up. My grandfather was able to specifically describe what he was experiencing and the doctor was able to diagnose him with Guillain- Barré syndrome.
...tain a fresh appreciation of the world around them. Socially, they are sensitive to others’ needs and enjoy rewarding interpersonal relations. At the Henry Horner Homes Project, Michael has written his legend. "It is sentimental to pretend that he can solve the many problems that beset this pace, irresponsible to imagine that he owes a greater responsibility to these kids than one owes them one’s self. But he could focus attention on these children’s problems simply by crossing the street. These kids, and others like them, are not Jordan’s obligation, but they are his opportunity. And with so much on the lives, who would you rather see with the ball?" (Naughton, 1992 Pg. 250-251)
Mickey Mantle retired in 1969 and he said it was the saddest day in his life(David 71). One of his accomplishments was the first home run in Yankees stadium to go over he black screen( David 70). He had 5 inside the park home runs in his 18 year career, 536 hrs in 8102 at bats, scored 1677 times, and his all time batting average ws .298( David 76). Mick had won 12 world series in just 14 seasons and 133 bases in his first twelve seasons(David 71). In 1967 he was moved to first base after his career started to decline due to more injuries and old age. 1968 would be Mickey's last season and he retired in 1969 (Mickey...Retires).Mickey's wife was Merlyn Johnson Mantle, together they had four sons David , Danny, Mickey Jr. and Bill(Mickey). Mickey taught all of his sons to play baseball and have fun together(Mantle Gluck 140 After Mickey retired he became a restaurant owner and a television commentator (Mickey). But after a few years of this he began to drink and sunk into alcoholism (David 71). After years of this he was entered into the Betty Ford Clinic in 1994. Here he was diagnosed with cirrhosis, hepatitis ,and liver cancer. Then a year later in 1995 he got a liver transplant that almost saved his life. Later that year on August 13 1995 he dies of a heart attack in Dallas Texas. He was lived on by his wife Merlyn and his three sons David Danny and Mickey Jr. His fourth son Billy died a year before him in 1994 of Hodgkin's disease a cancer that affects a part of your immune system called the lymphatic
Michael Jordan is a retired, extremely successful basketball player who played in the large, National Basketball Association. He was born on February 17, 1963 and his nationality is American. Michael Jordan is a big as most average shooting guards in the NBA at 6 feet 6 inches and his weight is listed at 216 lb. For many people, Michael Jordan is considered the best basketball player to live on the planet. For his whole career, he only played for two different franchises, the successful Chicago Bulls, and the improving Washington Wizards. This amazing player had a couple of large breaks in his career, he retired three times in all, but the first two time he had retired from the league, he returned to the NBA in nearly 3 years each time. After he retired, he played baseball in the MLB, but figured that he was meant for basketball then eventually returned to the NBA. He had astonishing stats in the regular season of the NBA and the playoffs. Michael Jordan is one of the greats because of several different statistics and accomplishments that prove his brilliance.
Michael Jeffery Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 in the city of Brooklyn, New York. Michael was not always the greatest player on the court; he had to work for every bit of it. After moving from Brooklyn to Wilmington, North Carolina MJ decided to go out for the high school sophomore basketball team, he was cut. However three years later he definitely showed his high school coach that he could play. Michael played his freshman of college for the University of North Carolina; he also hit the game winning shot in the NCAA Championship game that year. After two more years at North Carolina Michael entered the NBA draft. He was chosen third overall in the first round by the Chicago Bulls. MJ’s first year with the Bulls was spectacular, he wan the rookie of the year award, averaging 28.2 points per game. His second year in the NBA was not so great; he was benched due to a foot injury. However he did come back to play a few games towards the end of the season, one in which he scored sixty-three points. With this feet, he ho...
Michael Jordan, considered one of the greatest to every play the game of basketball, was born in Brooklyn in 1963 and raised in North Carolina. As a senior in high school he was selected to the McDonald’s All-American Team, and then later accepted a scholarship to play for the University of North Carolina. After three seasons of college ball in which he averaged almost 18 points and 5 rebounds a game. He was selected 3rd overall in the 1984 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls after Hakeem Olajuwon (a hall of fame center with the Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (considered a major bust by the Portland Trail Blazers).
When someone says the name Michael Jordan, the first thing that comes to mind is basketball, The Chicago Bulls and Nike shoes. Through the years, Michael Jordan has proved time and time again that he is the greatest basketball player ever, and by performing in this rapidly expanding sporting field, he has gained tremendous popularity throughout the world. People of all ages and from all nationalities have gathered to watch him play. A journalist states 'even your Aunt Matilda might not know nothing about basketball, liked watching him play' (Jonathon 1999:58). Jordan has become more than just an entertainer. He is a hero and a role model amongst basketball spectators. Johnson claims that 'he is the most famous American in the world' (ibid.). Perhaps he was born to be the best.
“You’re not feeling ill are you?” due to his abnormal (for a conditioned world) behavior and his concern for Linda which, as we can see was highly unexpected as few visitors ever came.
Michael Jordan is considered, by many, to be the greatest basketball player of all-time. However many do not know who he is as a person, or what he has contributed to basketball. Michael Jordan may be the greatest basketball player of all-time, but he is much more than a basketball player. He has contributed to many different charities, he was a baseball player, and he is a golfer. He is a champion off the court just as much as he was on the court to many people who receive donations from him. Jordan was a champion on the basketball court, but he is still a champion in the hearts of many off the court.
A guilty feeling surged through me as I snuck out of church early, but I could not wait any longer to show my friend, Jonathan, my new Chevrolet Cavalier. As I raced out of the parking lot, I heard ambulance sirens in the distance, and I felt a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach as if butterflies were fluttering around trying to get out. I paid the feeling no mind as I merged onto the interstate at Gray and headed toward Johnson City. Little did I know those sirens would change my life forever.
about my birthday when I was ten years old and he said “ go to your room and study “,
My family Is made up of my two parents and brother. My parents are both young at the age of 40. My younger brother is 16, I would consider his age a decent gap between us. Although this has never stopped us from getting close, we have been best friends since birth. My immediate family of the four of us is small, but my extended family is very large. My entire family lives in Duluth MN, except for me.
Everyone seems to define family differently, however, the significance of family is the same. For you, family means everything. You can always count on your parents and siblings for help and love. Family is very valuable and important to you and should never be taken for granted. No one can deny that family is the foundation of our generation. A family is where we all start our life journey and helps us grow to be successful throughout our lives.
There are so many different types of family relationships. Whatever form a family takes; it is an important part of everyone’s life. My family has played an important role in my life. Good family relationships serve as a foundation to interactions with others. Supportive families will help children to thrive. The quality of the family relationship is more important than the size of the family. Making the relationships priority, communication, and providing support for one another is key to developing relationships. Family relationships are what make up our world today; they shape the ways that we see things and the ways that we do things.