As I begin this story, about another person who has touched my life, it occurs to me that most of these people have gone from my life,... but I work in a life and death profession, and more than a few of the people I mention here are gone. That makes me sad.
Michael..........
A young man, in his 30's I think. He had a blood disease. We had to remove the plasma from his blood with a special pheresis machine, and replace it with sterile plasma. The type of disease he had usually responded to this treatment.
Michael was a musician here in Nashville, Tn. He was tall, with dark hair, and a ready smile. Quite a handsome man. (none of us are immune to beauty;-) He had a very pretty, vivacious wife. He didn't look sick, and he didn't act sick. Not the kind of patient I was used to!
He was one of those people who could talk to a telephone pole. He never met a stranger. We were always pleased to have Michael in our unit, because he always made the day a little brighter.
I would see him, once maybe twice a week...and caring for him was a joy.
After a period of a few weeks, I was writing in his chart one day, and was looking over some of his lab tests. My knowledge told me what his demeanor had not.... Michael was a very sick man. But I dismissed those thoughts from my mind, He seemed too alive to be very sick!
I remember one day in particular, ...it had been a very busy day, and I was tired and grumpy,.... everyone was tired...and grumpy too! We had Michael and 3 other patients we were taking care of. All at once I heard Michaels voice lifted in song....and no it was not a hymn, or anything of the sort. He was singing "Please pherese me, let me go......"(pherese is pronounced fer-eese) to the tune of an old Englebert Humperdink song from the 70's, "Please Release Me, let me go.....". We all laughed at his devilish sense of humor, and the day was a little better.
Michael and his wife finally decided to go back to their home town in West Virgnia, because in the music industry, when you are sick and cannot work, you don't get paid. Most everything is freelance. He would continue his pheresis treatments in his home town.
Before they left, he and his wife brought us the picture you see below. On the back of it he had written, "To the dialysis nurses, you are angels" It is still on the wall in the dialysis unit where we hung it that day.
Life went on and we didn't hear from Michael or his wife, and he faded from our thoughts.
But every once in a while, during a slow moment, my gaze would fall on the picture, and I would smile to myself. Charming Michael, able to lighten others spirits with his wit and zeal for life. I hoped he was doing alright.
About a year after they left, we received a short letter from his wife....
Michael had a heart attack suddenly, and died. Just like that, he was gone!
I wish I could express the sorrow that I felt upon hearing that news.
Michael touched me with his grace under the pressure of his illness
I had a nursing instructor tell me once, "Peggy, people are when they are sick, just as they are when they are well, only more so."
I have found that little gem of knowledge to be so true.
Michael will live forever in my heart. His smiling face, and his good cheer, speaks well of the man he was. You don't have to do anything spectactular to touch someone's life.....Michael did it with a song.
I will miss him.
