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| In Loving Memory Glenyce "Pip" Bolton 28th Feb 1955--27th May 1999 |
| I first met Glenyce when she was 23, and I was a 36yr old student nurse, at Lithgow District Hospital, in The Blue Mountains, NSW. Australia. (Nurses trained in hospital then, in 1978) I was rostered to work in Intensive Care with her on night duty. She was the Registered Nurse in charge. I drove to work that night with trepidation, as she was known as a person who did not suffer fools gladly, as well as being known for her compassion towards her patients, and I had never worked in the unit before. I was soon to learn however, that she was also an excellent teacher, so I soon found myself looking forward to working with her, despite the fact that the first night she asked me to dismantle the ventilator, clean it, then reassemble it! Well, I did the first two ok, but when I looked at the pieces before I put them back together, I thought, "She has to be joking"! But no, that is exactly what I had to do. Well I did it!, and before the month was over, I had learnt far more than any text book could teach me! including how to manage a ventilated patient. She also had a wicked sense of humour, and was a bit of a larrikin, doing the most outrageous things. I still find myself smiling at the memory of her, with her husband, turning up to the hospital ball in a low cut, 1950's style, gauzy cocktail dress, with tissues stuffed down the front to fill it out! Also the time when, walking through the surgical ward, on her way to morning tea, complete with Groucho Marx moustache and nose, a patient asked who she was. I will never forget the look on his face when I replied, "the Charge Sister of the Intensive Care Unit!" Suffice to say, there were many more moments like these. We worked together many more times, both when I was a student and then as a Registered Nurse, and I continued to learn from her, in many different ways. In 1982, her beloved daughter, Mahni was born, Glenyce returned to work soon afterwards, part time, and we worked together again. In 1989, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and was given a year to live. Glenyce chose to ignore this, and live life instead. I no longer lived in the Blue Mountains then, but we were still friends, and saw each other from time to time, when we visited her and Mahni, or she and Mahni visited us,and also used the phone a lot. On enquiring how she was, I was often treated to "my platelets have gone on holiday" meaning her platelet count was down, or "well, it is a year today, I sat waiting and I didn't die, so I am going to bed!" She was determined to live for as long as it took to prepare Mahni to face life without her, even tho' she was in constant pain. She continued to work, there being only her and Mahni now, lastly working at the Lithgow Correctional Centre. She continued her larrikin ways throughout this period, and gained the love and respect from all who came in contact with her. We often left her with our sides and faces aching from laughter. I last saw her earlier this year, and could see she was getting tired. She stayed with us overnight, on her way to yet another course in her quest to improve her skills. On May 27th 1999, Glenyce ended her Battle, it was her decision, she had triumphed, had fought bravely, and valiently, but now her work was done.She had achieved her goal, her courage, her spirit, her compassion, her "spit 'em in the eye attitude" ie. "I'm not going till I have to" has been an inspiration to us all. Mahni is a lovely young lady, ready to face life , determined to shape her own future, and is a credit to herself and her mother. Today, Glenyce is back in the Blue Mountains, free of pain at last. Both myself and my husband Barry, are intensly proud to have known and been called friend by Glenyce, and honoured to say, she was our friend,. We will miss her deeply, as will all who knew her. We only wish we could have held her hand one last time, given her one last kiss on the cheek, and for Barry to have bought her one more beer, and had one more laugh together. Unfortunately, this wasn't to be, I was in the UK, and we missed saying goodbye to our friend, one Great Lady! We were able to be a part of the last thing we could ever do for Glenyce. Along with her family and a few close friends, we climbed the mountain behind her mother's home, to place her ashes there, overlooking Lithgow, the Valley in the Blue Mountains, looking directly down on her mother's home. As we reached the top, after climbing for 60 minutes, got our breaths back, before we toasted her, with her port, (donated by a winery at the beginning of her illness, to raise funds, in case she needed a bone marrow transplant,) I can't help thinking I heard a quiet chortle from her........:) Rest in Peace, Glenyce, we miss you, and will never forget you. |
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