ASSIGNMENTS:
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Raquel Butler
Houston, Texas USA
Email Raquel
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REPORTS:
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Patient Name: Felma Wade
Place: Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital
Date / Time: Saturday, March 19, 2005 10:30a 1:30p
My mother received a telephone call from her first cousin, Minnie, on Wednesday, March 16, 2004 who informed her that her sister Felma was ill and had been hospitalized again. Because of the uncertainty in Minnie s voice, my mother knew that we needed to arrange a trip to Nacogdoches, Texas, which is about 2 and a half hours away from our home. So we decided to visit Felma on Saturday, March 19, 2004 in the hospice unit of Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital.
Upon arrival, I was not willing to accept the fact that Felma might die soon. A series of emotions came over me as the minutes led to hours of watching her helplessly slip away from us. I was angry with her immediate family as well as the caregivers employed by the hospital. Although her death from leukemia was inevitable, I could not help feeling that there was more than could have been done to prolong her life. I tried to carefully not allow Felma to sense my anger. I held her hands and massaged them as well. I wanted her to know that I was there for her.
By the end of our visit with Felma, I knew that she knew she was dying. I think she was ready because she had not eaten for days and continued to refuse food. She had a look of anticipation of reaching a place that we could not relate to. Felma died about 48 hours after my mom and I visited her.
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