Praise the Lord that Grandma is recovering well. As her condition stabilizes, writing about her becomes mundane. However, it is good to stay this way, as I certainly don't want to report any exciting (or nerve wrecking) news.
At bedtime, my mom reads to wind down from her hectic day. She is currently reading the book called Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul. The title of one of the stories captured her attention - This is the way we brush our teeth.
I don't like getting my teeth brushed. Since I love music, a song was created for me using the tune of "The wheels of the bus go up and down". The song goes like this - This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth, this is the way we brush our teeth . . . . .
I hate the song, but I like the story:
Long, long ago, as first-year students, we were on the floor for a short time each day. Our duties were limited to refilling water pitchers, changing flower water, dusting th room, and taking vital signs.
On one of my early mornings on the ward I was asked to clean the dentures of all the patients before breakfast. Delighted with the important assignment, I went to each room with a tray, gathered the denture cups on the night stands of the sleeping residents, and proceeded to the workroom to fulfill my duty. I diligently cleaned the teeth under running water with a special brush and denture cleaner, then placed them all on the counter in a neat row. As I started to put the dentures back into each cup I suddenly froze. Although I have done a superb job of cleaning them, I now saw a dilemma, which held me suddenly suspended. I didn't know to whom the dentures belonged!
Nervously, I went to the charge nurse and confessed my problem. After she wiped tears from her eyes from her laughter, she helped me sort some that she recognized, then we set about the arduous task of fitting the remaining dentures to the appropriate residents.
Room by room, we fit and refit teeth until, hours later each resident was smiling a gleaming smile and anticipating chomping down on breakfast.
The next day when I returned to the floor, the charge nurse began laughing again as soon as she saw me.
"Mrs. Smith's son came in last night wondering who was responsible for his mother's new teeth!"
My heart stopped. Expulsion from nursing school whirled in my mind.
"He said, 'They fit for the first time in fifteen years! We cannot thank you enough!'"
Sunday, November 2, 2008
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2 comments:
Hi Timothy,
I liked the story about your Mom and the teeth.
Years ago when I was working in the Staff Training section the station management used to sometimes book our rooms for conferences. When they did they always had very nice cakes and biscuits etc delivered to the mealroom on trays covered with a tea towel.
If nobody was looking we would go to the meal room, reach under the teatowel and 'borrow' a nice looking piece of cake and eat it. (It was our way of helping management from getting overweight!!)
One day I saw the covered tray in the mealroom, and nobody was looking, so reached under to 'borrow' a piece of cake and got quite a surprise. It wasn't a management meeting that was being help but a first aid class and they were the sanitised lips and nose from the mannequins to practice EAR on.
The feeling of cold wet rubber lips and noses sort of killed my appetite for the day!!
Best wishes for Grandma and tell her we are thinking of her, and you and Mom.
Keith
My mom loves the Chicken Soup for the Soul stories. Some of them are funny while others are touching.
I think your story is funny enough for submission to be published.
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