Today was bath day for Paul, and our precious hospice aide/angel showed up this morning just like she has for the past 6 weeks. She is such a shining example of God's love. She is originally from New Orleans and has the most beautiful accent. Seeing her always smiling face begins my day on such a happy note! She treats Paul with so much respect. I love watching Shaneen's gentle and caring attention to Paul. I can tell he really likes her too. She always calls exactly 10 minutes before she drives up in the morning (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). That gives me time to medicate (morphine) Paul so that Shaneen can move him around in the bed without him being in so much pain. (And since we NOW know about the new clot in his right leg, they are letting me double the dose.) You should hear how she talks to Paul throughout his bath with such tenderness and respect.
Shaneen has taught me that for a bedridden patient, a huge concern is bedsores. You have to really stay alert and make sure he never lays for very long at all in a soiled bed. Plus it's important to change his position from side to side by rolling him and propping him up with pillows every 2-3 hours. One day, as I assisted Shaneen when she was spreading cream on Paul's backside, she said, "Mr. Paul, I hopes you knows that Miss Carleen here really loves you, cuz you got da best butt of all my patients!! Yo skin is so pretty on yo behind!" Never thought anyone would rate how much I loved Paul by how nice his butt looked. Duh!
Here's our precious Shaneen brushing Paul's teeth. See that loving glowing smile!!
This evening while Paul was enjoying an ice cream sandwich I discovered a big box by "Harry and David" left on our front porch. It was a fruit and goody basket from Paul's family: Woody, Pud, Martha, Sally and Bob!! Yummmeee! Thank you! We'll be having these goodies as "afterschool snacks" for the next couple of weeks!
A good day was had by all.
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