Reflections of a Hospital Patient 

Reflections of a Hospital Patient 

By Ernie Christie, Pastoral Care Volunteer, Waco, TX*

During my three different times in the hospital recently, I had time to reflect upon things regarding life, health issues, and death.  The following thoughts are mine, but they could very well reflect the thinking of others under similar circumstances.

  1. Life can and does change in a few days, hours, and/or minutes. Appreciate good health.  Do not take it as a life-long blessing.  Being a hospital patient was the first for me in my 55 years of marriage with my wife, Judith.
  2. The view from a gurney in ER is always upward. I cannot count the number of personal prayers uttered in my time of despair.  I was losing blood to the point of passing out.  I don’t think I have ever been so scared.
  3. Under the current restrictions implemented due to COVID, Judith was not permitted into ER or the hospital. We communicated by phone from time to time.  Even though I was surrounded by any number of people, it was a lonely place.
  4. One of my nurses was visibly shaken when I passed out. When things were settling down, she told me she was going to give me a small amount of oxygen.  She said I really didn’t need it, but it would help her.  She then held my hand for about fifteen or twenty minutes.  Nurses as well as other medical personnel can be impacted by difficult events, and yet they continue to do the job.
  5. In the middle of one of the nights, there was a Code Blue. I could hear the footsteps of those responding as they ran past my door, and then things were so quiet. I prayed for the patient in dire circumstances and for those responding.  Several hours later my nurse came into the room to check on my IVs.  She looked tired and frazzled.  I told her that it was a long night for her and that I had been praying for her, the team members, and for the patient.  She thanked me and said that meant a lot to her.  The patient slipped into eternity just a few feet from my room.
  6. When one is in the hospital, the room becomes their world. The patient is confined within those four walls.  After a while those four walls begin to “shrink” in area.  It seems like things are closing in.  I need to remember that feeling when I am able to make “rounds” once again.  I need to remember to spend a little bit more time with the patient.
  7. The best thing about being in the hospital is the time to go home, to take up residence in a house full of rooms, and to be with Judith once again. After being home for a few days, I began to think about the best time of life is the time to go to the heavenly home, to take up residence in an eternal dwelling place, and to be in the presence of Jesus.
  8. My body is healing. My heart is heavy with gratitude and my wallet lighter due to the hospital bill. My focus has been reset and redirected due to this unasked for and unwelcome encounter with an unexpected health issue.
  9. I resolve to move forward undaunted and unfettered! There is more life to live before entering the veil to the other side.  I pray for God’s grace, peace, and mercy for this journey called life.

*Ernie Christie was a patient in Baylor Scott and White Medical Center-Hillcrest in Waco and though he has spent many hours visiting patients as a pastoral care volunteer, this was his first experience “on the receiving side of the bed.” He was able to return as a caregiver in this same hospital on Monday, April 26th, 2021.