Author's posts
How do we explain the end-of-life rally?
Granny Rachel, my husband’s mother, was an old country soul. She was a simple lady who loved the Lord. She accepted me with open arms when my own parents turned their backs on me. Granny Rachel made the best sweet tea and the best homemade vegeta…
The orphans of COVID: Who will care for them now?
The 911 call came too late. Her daughter was 32 years old and usually quite healthy. But she refused the COVID vaccinations. She said she took her vitamins and was healthy and that “God is my pilot” and “I don’t want toxins in my body.” Her mother knew…
What really happens when the unvaccinated get sick with COVID
“My body, my rights.” “My body is a temple.” “I don’t want poison going into my body.” ” I’ve done my research.” And they refuse to wear masks; they refuse to social distance. They refuse COVI…
From the prison of my job to freedom
It became a prison to me — impending doom. I knew I had only three months left before I could retire. Three months isn’t long, but it is a lifetime away. That long drive to work in that heavy highway traffic where there was always a collision. Th…
My father and a gallon of wine: an executive and alcoholic
An executive father. Alcoholism. And that gallon of wine. As I walked through the wine section at the grocery store, I spotted one of those gallon jugs of wine. I was searching for Christmas presents for my friends. But that brand glared at me. Daddy —…
The displacement of the health care family
Along came COVID, and no one was prepared. We had minimal PPE. We were told to put our N95 mask in a paper bag, use it on every patient, and use it for one full week. Normally the N95 mask would be disposed of after each patient room exit. Health care …
That time my patient swallowed an entire bag of crack
He was the middleman — the man that took the crack cocaine from the main guy, the drug dealer and then sold it to his “clients” and kept a percentage of the money for himself and the rest to the dealer. It was a fine-tuned operation. You co…
A nurse’s prayer for safety
In Catholic elementary school, we sat at our school desks, and the nuns had us pray for the lost souls in purgatory every day. If we prayed hard enough, we would pray them out of purgatory and lift them into heaven. Before I clock in, I say my anti-ass…
The unsung heroes: respiratory therapists
Working day after day, year after year, in a busy high acuity ICU, we all have become a “second family.” The public doesn’t hear much about respiratory therapists, especially during this COVID nightmare. But they have been the unsung …
A pregnant mother dies of COVID
In this small town I live in, a funeral procession is a big deal. The hearse is followed by several black cars turning into an array of family and friends cars. All of them roll slowly and sadly to the final destination. I knew all about this funeral. …
