A Tribute to Pablo.

I was able to finish work (really) early today. As I was walking out of the unit, I opened a message from horacio "I have bad news for you". I called him, and he broke the news to me. A patient that has been at Elmhurst for almost a year passed away. He came in, he was Eric's admission, very confused and in a bad state. He was on close observation (meaning, someone had to sit with him to make sure he is safe), for he was a really difficult patient. He was confused and spoke only Spanish, which made things a bit more difficult for us. I remember he would refuse all medications and blood sugar tests from everyone. But we found a way to give the antibiotics to him anyway. Soon, he would ask for that 'special' sandwich that the Chinita would give him. Once he gets it and eats it, I would ask him how the sandwich was and he would always say it's bitter yet would finish it in seconds! As days passed by, he got better... he wasn't being watched anymore, he was slowly walking on his own. His diagnosis resolved and would be seen walking around the unit all the time. He would eat so much! We would get two trays just for him, and he would even take the snacks for the other diabetic patients! He would be seen sitting down with another patient's family, chatting with them and when you pass by he'd tell you that that person is his friend.

Even with the language barrier, he would joke around with the nurses. He was actually a very naughty one… he would start saying things that you wouldn’t believe he was capable of saying, and we’d all just have a good laugh with him.

The last time I had him, he had a fever. We wouldn’t see him out of his room or even hear him beg for some galletas with jelly (he doesn’t like peanut butter!). We were all hoping and praying for him to get better. One night, since it was quiet, we were able to put him on a chair and gave him a good shower. The following day, his fever got better few days after that he was walking around again and hanging out at the patient’s lounge with his cap on tilted slightly to the right.

I don’t know if he fully knows me or remember me each day I say hi to him, or give him his meds. Since I have left the hospital, I would ask about him whenever I speak to someone from the unit. I would even ask Horacio how he was doing whenever Horacio tells me that he passed by the floor. When I came to visit, I made sure I passed by his room just to say hi and ask him how he was doing.

Last time I saw him was Saturday. They teased me about taking him home with me since (I think) they are having a hard time finding placement for him. They had told me that he wasn’t doing well again. Though most thought he would bounced back like he always did in the past.

Today, I was told that he was transferred to a different unit. He had coded there yesterday and was transferred once more in a more critical care unit, where he passed away.

I have had patients who had touched my heart, whom I had cared for dearly and passed away. With this one, I never thought I could get affected this way. I may not personally know him, his past life, who he really was. I guess, the things that I have known about him, his antics, him teasing the kids or other nurses about his eye, calling a nurse his friend and describing her as the one with the coca-cola bottle body, the one who changed his last name just because he thought the real one was too long and complicated. That was all that I needed to know, to treat him almost like family.

I know that whoever he was, he had a family, had loved someone, is now being missed by someone; he is in God’s grace now. Resting.