Just another Saturday......

On Saturday I worked for the toughest 3 hours of my life. I think it was tougher than picking berries when I was younger (which I despised, but earned a meager $2.50/crate for picking). I finally put my CNA to good use! I was hired by a home health care agency to work a few hours a week- and I took care of my first client on Saturday.

Why was it so hard?

1) I'm completely NOT confident in my skills.
2) I want to do what is best for the man I was taking care of, who has Parkinson's- but the first time you have no clue what the 'best' thing is.
3) His wife stayed home the entire time- which only made me more nervous.

Needless to say- it was physically draining (trying not to have him fall) and mentally draining (hoping to do the right thing all of the time). We went on a walk, I fed him breakfast, we talked, watched some TV and I helped him write a few words: Dinner, Lunch, Breakfast and Quicksand (I never really got to the bottom of 'why' quicksand?).

I know that each shift will get better- and that I will begin to be more confident.

But the rewarding part came after I was home. His wife had provided me with some articles, saying that some of her husbands other caregivers had been interested in his 'work' and she wondered if I wanted to read them? After speaking her briefly about his career as a medical researcher- I was intrigued by what type of 'work' he may have done. I took them with me and read them this evening.

My heart was moved. The man that I had helped feed- helped write Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast and Quicksand--has done AMAZING research on several pediatric diseases. The articles discussed how he and changed peoples lives with the research he has completed, specifically with brittle bone disease. I read the articles in 'awe' and was touched by the people he had touched with his research. I honestly couldn't believe that it was the same person I was taking care of on Saturday. I felt almost 'lucky' or 'honored' to be caring for him--and it reminded me once again that everyone I will care for has a history, a story and a family.

And it just may make my next shift a little bit easier.