life is precious...

I went to visit my friend Shirley at the hospital today. When I got to the room she shares with two other patients, there was a little asian man occupying her space. Needless to say, I was a little worried. I hadn’t been to visit her the previous weekend and not being as medically astute as might be helpful, I didn’t know what could potentially happen in a two-week span for a stroke patient. With a bit of trepidation, I asked the nurse at the station if she knew where Shirley had been moved to.

“I think she has been transferred to TCU. Let me just check.”

TCU! What’s TCU? That doesn’t sound good. That’s kinda like ICU. Let’s not jump to any conclusions…

“Ya, she’s been moved to the Transitional Care Unit… She’ll be there until they find her a place at another facility. It’s in the West building, room 420, bed B.”

O good, TCU is a good thing. Relatively.

I found her and her cute new roommate, Nellie. I had a nice little chat with them both, together for a while and separately while they got their diapers changed. Nellie is so sweet with her English accent, her constant apologies for forgetting and her “I’ll have to get back to you on thats” when she can’t answer a polite conversation question because she just can’t remember.

And Shirley, with her “Do you see that spider? Do you see those eggs? Ed (her husband) kidnapped us last night and got arrested.” She has arachnophobia and according to her allegedly arrested husband, has some delusions as a result of her stroke. I’m not sure what to believe anymore. But that’s ok.

I hope it makes Shirley’s days better when I go to visit her. It sure makes me appreciate my health and my family and friends more. A reminder that this moment is all that is guaranteed and sometimes even it is cut short.

Shirley told me today that she’s claimed me as her daughter and that she tells the nurses that’s who I am. I’m ok with that. Whatever makes today easier for you, Shirley.

So I’ll continue to visit her when I can and feed her thickened water with a spoon and join into her delusions with her. It’s one of the better ways I spend my time really.


Oh and some day soon, Shirley, Nellie and I are going on a picnic at Stanley Park. Shirley said I can carry all the food and stuff. I thanked her for the honor.