Because it has been almost 10 years since I wrote this book (and this statement makes me feel really old!!), during the translation of this book I have been sometimes changing the text to bring more clarity to the reader. There are other times when I find myself not agreeing 100% with what I wrote 10 years ago, and I have been trying to resist the temptation to change the book too much, and end up sounding like a 30 year old married women with kids that I am, instead of the 20 years old single girl full of dreams that I was. Not that I don't have dreams anymore, but I know that to grow old is also to become another person, hopefully a more mature one.
The interesting thing, though, is that a lot of the things that I wrote in this book ended up happening. I visited the region where my brother came from, I ended up working in pediatric nursing for a while and I ended up... well, this last one I cannot tell you or I will spoil the end of the book!
Enjoy the reading!!
CHAPTER 3 (Part 2)
Dear
Diary,
Every
morning, standing on a corner inside the nurse's station, I check the
medications that will be used during my shift. I am always amazed by
the amount of complicated medicine's names that have been added to my
vocabulary, besides all the knowledge about their collateral effects,
specific care and recommended doses. I know that all this information
didn’t get inserted inside my brain on a single day, just like the
rest of the nursing knowledge that became part of my life. They were
the result of a long learning journey from college until now. I have
not been working as a nurse for that long but sometimes I feel like I
have been in this same floor for a lifetime. Do you think that I am
exaggerating, dear Diary? Anyway, this feeling makes me wish for a
change of routine once in a while.
My
entire life has been filled with dreams and some challenges too, and
so many ideas have popped inside my head only to be forgotten a while
later. I remember the one time when my dream was to go to the
Amazons’ region to take care of Indians. A dream quite far from my
reality right now. There is nothing better than time to change me!
But
now, looking back, I find out I never really chose to work here in
this unit. I identified myself more with some areas of nursing, but I
tried to be realistic to the job market and not set my expectations
too high for a perfect position. Thankfully, when I was looking for
my first job, I came across an opening in an area that was one of my
favorites, so I took it with a smile on my face. But to tell you the
truth, dear Diary, at the beginning my job was filled with highs and
downs, hard learning experiences, and some conquests. I guess it has
been the final push to get me more knowledgeable and self-confident,
while at the same time recognizing my limitations. Everyday it
has been a new adventure as I land in the Pediatric world with both
feet.
Last
weekend I was taken by a nostalgic crisis and started going through
some old pictures that brought up many memories. Looking at myself in
the pictures, a skinny and fragile little girl, dressed in bigger
clothes than her size, made me think that I came a long way. I
survived childhood dangers, teen age's
insecurities and even profited from the process by maturing. Some
days, I still feel like that little girl, surrounded by unknown
dangers, while on other days I feel like the teenager filled with
insecurities. But looking at the mirror I see the difference quite
well.
The
truth, right here and now, is that I don't really enjoy these cold
days we are having. My feet seem always far from warm, even with my
tick socks packed inside my shoes. I try to keep myself moving, from
patient to patient room, to stay warmer.
Now
the important news... Yesterday, I started to notice this unusual
silence around my unit. It seemed that the only thing I could hear
were my thoughts and they were, in fact, quite loud shouting for
something to eat. I guess the stress keeps me thinking about eating a
lot lately. This hospital life has me getting a few extra pounds.
So,
hungry as I was, I went to our small kitchen area for a snack.
Inside, I had a quick talk with a fellow worker that works in another
floor. She asked me if I knew of the child that was being
investigated for the unknown contagious disease and had been referred
to my unit. I swallowed my breath. I have no problems taking care of
sick kids, but I started to wonder if to be in the front line of a
mysterious disease would be really a good idea.
The
snack landed on my stomach like a rock. I could feel the heartburn
starting to make its way up to my throat. Maybe that is what that
silence was all about. Just like in the movies, the anticipation for
a horror story. Like the one they find out the disease is in fact
worse than they thought and now we are all doomed to die with the
rest of the human kind.
I
spent last evening going through a thousand questions in my head
about the possible situation. What should I follow in such case? My
faith, my salary or my safety? I felt like walking on a rope
knowing that if I stepped off the line that would be it. So I tried
to calm myself thinking that probably it was just an unconfirmed
speculation, and at the end it will be just a common virus. At the
same time I know I carry some responsibility for the safety of my
team, and that includes not alarming them but also keeping them aware
of the risks.
And
then this morning the news was confirmed. The child will come to my
unit, but they will also send some specialized personnel to guide us
in the safety procedures. To tell you the truth, dear Diary, I am not
afraid of dying, but the press is exploring the subject to such an
extent now that people are panicking right and left. I know there are
other diseases as bad as this but the unknown factor is causing a lot
of impact.
All
in all, I will try my best to consider this poor child's well-being,
who has been suffering from this unknown disease, and give her the
best I can, even though there is no specific medicine or known cure.
It is going to be emotionally hard to watch this child suffer and
nothing that can be done to heal her, but I know that there is not a
medicine for every problem in life. Some diseases will never be
cured, some problems will never be solved and some wounds will never
be closed. And I give a lot of credit for my brother Pedro for
teaching me this hard reality.
Good
night, L.
Book: A fight for Life
CHAPTER 5 (Part 2) coming soon...