I Had to Stand Back Due to My Shock and Just Stare

BSN_after_40

But let's not forget the CNA's; they really work hard and do a great job keeping the residents/patients clean, dry, and happy! I feel my time as a CNA was an important part of my nursing experience and enhanced my career.

I started as a CNA at age 22. I had been a waitress, bartender, cook, fast food worker, even worked in a turkey processing plant ( it took me many years to be able to eat turkey again after that!). It was a whole new area of employment for me, and I was a full-time LPN student as well. I found the work hard but interesting and really enjoyed working with the geriatric crowd.

One day during orientation, I was shadowing a fun gal that liked to joke a lot named "Jackie," we had fun. I was helping feed in the dining room when I noticed "Rita." She was a cute little lady, about 4'9 and a little chubby. She was also totally blind. As another CNA fed her, it obvious that she was crabby and would occasionally swing out at the CNA. At the same time, I couldn't help but notice that coming out from the bottom of the hemline of her dress was what appeared to be a long abdominal fold, nestled in her white slip, on top of her knees. I couldn't help but comment about the spectacle to my coworker. I said "what is up with that ladie's stomach sticking out of her dress like that? Poor thing!" Jackie smiled and said, "honey, those are her breasts" and kept on feeding her resident without missing a beat. After a pause, I said "no way!" Looking back at Rita as she sat there in a wheelchair, imagining that her breasts were about 3 ft long of her 4'9 frame. Jackie was smiling and enjoying this moment. She just looked at me and nodded. "Yep," she said, "scary isn't it." I said "you are full of it! No way!" "Ok," she said, "you'll see." I felt like she was pulling a joke on me and dismissed it after lunch time.

By the next week, I was orienting to pm shift. Met a different crew than the am shifters, a little more laid back but good CNA's just the same.

I looked at my list of residents, low and behold, Rita was on it. "Aha!" I thought, now I will find out for myself if Jackie was yanking my chain or not. Just as was thinking about this, my co-assigned pointed at her name and said, "we will have to work together on her, she is combative."

The afternoon went fast, supper came and went, soon it was time to put the residents to bed. When Rita's turn came up, I was thinking about Jackie's comment and asked Joan the CNA about Rita's breasts as we were trying to get her undressed. Joan was more serious than Jackie in her demeanor. She calmly said, "you'll see for yourself here in a minute." It took both of us to manage her swinging arms and pinching fingers. But within a few minutes, we got her dress and slip off. To my utter amazement, she indeed had the longest, most pendulous breasts I had ever seen! I had to stand back due to my shock and just stare. Luckily this poor lady was completely blind, I'm sure it would have upset her to see someone with their mouth hanging open looking at her breasts in complete shock! Once the slip had come off, her breasts extended down to her mid-calf area. I felt myself clutching my chest as if I was hugging my own breasts, praying I would never find them grow to such lengths! Joan said, "we aren't done yet'" as she actually placed one breast at a time over Rita's shoulders and started to wash her stomach and under her breasts! I was near complete horror by then! Not only could you put her breasts over shoulders, but they actually hung down the back of the wheelchair like strange dog ears with nipples! "Oh my God!" I said loudly! "Are you serious! I have never seen anything like this before in my life!" Joan calmly washed her up and requested me to help before she became combative again. The whole spectacle had me in grip of shock! I spent the rest of the HS cares on Rita speechless!

Even now, years later, I can recall that unbelievable scene. I did get used to it and regularly worked with Rita. I sometimes think about her as I get older and my parts are moving south.

I Had to Stand Back Due to My Shock and Just Stare

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