My Dream That Finally Came True

[spark plug]

I had a job that I had been at for 22yrs

I was scared to leave, to start my DREAM. Not knowing how I would pay my bills, how was I to pay for school, where and when was I going to find one. Plus being a single mother. This list of questions has been weighing on my shoulders and my HEART for 17yrs. Let me tell you my story.

My dream started when I got to take care of my boss’s mother

Shanta was her name. She was a sweet lady. Always wanting to learn new English words and there meaning. She always asked me to hem, pin, sew and iron her beautiful Saudi’s among other tasks that she would ask. As the years passed by, Shanta started to have health issues. Her diabetes was under a watchful eye. That’s where I began to be her caregiver. Then her arthritis started to get so painful that she had to start, Embrel. I then started to give her daily injections. Sometime later, she became very ill. My mother and I stayed with her one night. She kept talking in her language, she was asking her god to take her, she was done and tired. Morning came when the day nurse got there my mom and I left. Later that day she sadly past on. I will always cherish the times we had together. She is DEARLY MISSED!

A friend of the family

Mr. Bob Massey was a very gentle, kind, helpful, caring, funny man. He had a heart of gold. Bob became ill, they found a tumor in his brain. The day he surgery to remove the tumor took over half the day. When the doctor finally came out, he said, it was bigger than he had thought. Bob had to undergo many Kemo and Radiation treatments. Bob was just getting weaker and weaker. One day I went to pick him up for a doctor's appointment, he was taking a long time to get ready. I went down the hallway and said, Bob, are you dressed he answered yes. I went in his room to find him NOT ready at all. What I saw was my son and Bob coloring away. Bob said, he wanted to color and so I did I’m not getting any better I’m not hurrying. This little guy wanted to color and I did, I don’t think I’ll ever have the chance to color again. As I watched them two color, I was to see Bob spend time with my son and color for his last time. We finally got to the doctor, only for them to admit him to the hospital. As I was leaving his room he said, Tronna your feet are getting wet. It meant that was where I needed to be a NURSE. After two months of fighting, Bob went to be with the lord.

NaNa

After Bob passed away, I started taking care of my NaNa. She couldn’t walk and was in a wheelchair. I became her leg from then on. I would go over in the morning after work transfer her the bedside toilet, let her wash her face, pick her clothes out for the day, get her dressed. Then we were off to the living room to drink coffee and chit chat with PaPa. I made breakfast or went and got it, whatever they wanted to do. We would sit down for breakfast having many conversations, and PaPa always trying to educate me. I remember staying the night with them and waking up to the smell of bacon. NaNa was up at the crack of dawn to get it made, for my PaPa he liked to eat early. After breakfast I would get them settled for the day and go home. At 8pm at night I was right back over there to get NaNa ready for bed. After she was all tucked in, I would sit down and talk with PaPa before I went to work. Saturday was bathing day for NaNa, doing grocery shopping and do their laundry. One day my Nana got sick, we went to the hospital and they said, she has gallstones that she needed surgery. Surgery day came and the family was there. Finally after it seemed like forever the doctor came out and said the surgery went well and that my Nana was fine. She was doing fine for about a week, then we got a call that she was going to ICU. Her body was weak and she stayed there on machines for weeks and was not getting any better. The day came that we all dreaded, It was time to take her off the machines. I sat and prayed with her before everyone got there. Nana knew what was going on, it wasn’t her brain that was gone, her body couldn’t fight anymore. When everyone was there we gathered around her bed, Papa on one side of the bed holding her hand and my brother holding her hand on the other side. My two nieces, mom and I stood at the foot of the bed. Then the nurse came in with syringes the nurse took one of the syringes and put it in my Nana’s IV, then respiratory took out the oxygen tube. Her eyes open I was thinking just breathe just breath. Her eyes began to close. That’s when she went on to be with the lord. August 3, 2009.

PaPa

After NaNa passed I continued to keep the house up to par and do things for Papa. He was alone after 54yrs. Even tho we both missed Nana, I knew he was missing her most of all. I felt bad for him. When it came time to work on “guy things” he would teach how to do it hands on I didn’t mind getting my hands greasy. He would still make sure the grocery list was made out and every Saturday drive me to the store then wait on me outside. The same routine was followed as if Nana was there. PaPa would make himself dinner, if he was tired of microwave dinners or throw on a pot of beans in the morning for dinner. One morning when I got to Papa’s I noticed the front door was not opened like it always was. This made my stomach dropped. When I got in the house, Papa had a stroke in the bathroom. The paramedics got there and Papa refused treatment so they left. I put him in Nana’s wheelchair and he wanted me to make breakfast. I did as I was told. Later that day I was able to get him to the hospital. He was there about 3 weeks before he went to be with Nana at the Lord's house.

I finally left my job of 22yrs

I got into school to become a CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT, GOT MY BLS, and then HHA. I graduate at the end of the month. I HAVE MY DREAM AT THE TIPS OF MY FINGERS. I will soon hold this Dream in the palm of my hand close my fingers make a fist and NEVER NEVER LET IT GO. I’m ready to enjoy life.

[Susie2310]

I wanted to tell you how heartwarming I found your post. I am happy that you found joy in caring for the people you mentioned. I'm sure they appreciated both your care and the time that you spent with them. Your warmth and caring came through in your post. You gave a very special gift.

Congratulations on now being in school to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, with graduation in view, and on obtaining your BLS and HHA certificates. I hope you enjoy your work as a CNA.

It sounds as though you have worked very hard.

If you go on to become an LVN/RN, I wanted to share with you that my experience is that people who have taken care of others and found happiness/meaning in doing this and in working as CNA's/HHA's, are also the happiest nurses. I also saw in my nursing program that the students who were already working as CNA's/HHA's had a big advantage as they were already comfortable with providing basic care and knew how to do this. They also knew that they wanted to be nurses while other people were still trying out the role and hoping they would like it.

Best wishes to you.

[spark plug]

Thank You!

Yes, I'm enjoying MY DREAM! I do feel like I could go a step higher. We'll see down the road. WHERE EVER GOD WANTS ME TO BE, I'LL BE.

[Imanik13]

I'm so happy for you hon. Everyone deserves to be able to live out their dream, but rarely do. I'm so glad to hear that you went through with it in the end despite all your worries. It just shows you what can happen when you step out on faith and see that God will always provide for you. What a blessing!

[Susie2310]

On 4/26/2020 at 7:59 AM, spark plug said:

Thank You!

Yes, I'm enjoying MY DREAM! I do feel like I could go a step higher. We'll see down the road. WHERE EVER GOD WANTS ME TO BE, I'LL BE.

spark plug, once I had written my post above I realized that I may have given the impression that I was suggesting/advocating that you consider becoming an LVN/RN. I want to clarify that that's not what I meant. Becoming a CNA/HHA is a worthy accomplishment in it's own right. CNA's/HHA's are an essential part of the health care team and do very valuable work taking care of patients. Please enjoy what you have accomplished and enjoy your new job/career.