Note form Chaplain Jeanne 3/25/1010

Patient had pain on both legs like a pinched nerve. He had an accident at work with a ladder, and thought the source of his pain was related to his back. His found out that it was his neck, and the doctor said if he had fallen he could have been paralyzed. The doctor had a neck brace on him. He was in good spirits. He said he worked for Time Warner. The chaplain said “You are the one who messes up my computer. They laughed. When Chaplain said staff would pray for him, the patient began getting emotional and indicated he did not like that feeling.

Had a call from a pastor about a certain family who was having difficulty. The police had been at the home, due to the caregiver’s controlling manner in that he did not want his mother to go to the hospital. After she went to the hospital. the caregiver ended up in another hospital. The pastor was concerned for the family. I went to see them. A group of them were present with the patient (caregiver of the mother). Patient was concerned for his mother. He said he had good and bad days and that the tubes bothered him at times. His mother had a stroke and is in another hospital where she is on a ventilator. He has been her sole caregiver 24/7. He did not want to talk much; but the family was very interested in prayer so joined the chaplain as she prayer.

Met a family in the waiting room. The wife had not been in to see her husband yet and seemed interested that Chaplin was availably if needed. I told her I would stop in and see him. Patient opened his eyes when I spoke to him. He said his pastor had been there and saved him. I was not sure what he meant and asked if he had been saved. He did not appear to hear me, I asked if he had peace with God and he sincerely said, “Oh Yeah” I had prayer. Returned and told the wife that I had seen him. I think the family was greatful.

There was a younger man was in the room of one patients, and when he left the patient said, it was his son who was the 14th child born at that particular Hospital. He is having a triple bypass. He seemed calm about it when I commented on it, and expressed great confidence in God. We had prayer.

I was paged for a patient that the staff said they were doing a one way wing. I did not know what that meant, but since found out. It is where they are taking the patient off the ventilator. I sat with the son a while and talked/prayed with the patient who was unresponsive prior to son arriving. His dad had been like this since November. Son said he thought chaplain had a morbid job. Chaplin said it was interesting and rewarding. The Son was a school teacher from out of state.

Note form Chaplain Jeanne 3/20/2010

Hello again!

Met a patient who was a chaplain for the police and fire department. He used to be an Associate Pastor of Pastoral Care before he retired and did Chaplaincy. I asked him what his greatest highlight in ministry was. He said it was serving for the disaster team for BIlly Graham. He has seen thousands give their hearts to Jesus. What a rewarding work! He was a pleasant gentleman, and a privilege to meet.

One young lady is quite a puzzle to the doctors. She started having shakes on her body uncontrollable. No one seems to know what the problem is after many tests. Her doctor said she was an interesting case. They are seeking to place her in a special hospital to further her treatment and find a diagnosis.

Met one lady who was actually not that old, but for some reason, life had aged her extremely. I would never have guessed her age to be what it was. She was having such doubt in her faith to trust God. She wanted peace, but was finding it difficult to find it. She worried about her family so much and wanted them to be taken care of. I felt that this poor dear needed to let others take care of her and not worry about them. I quoted her some favorite passages that have been good for me, and prayed with her about having peace with God. I left her feeling a little better I think, yet not fully trusting.

One man had such great faith in God. He attends a Church of God and thinks so highly of his pastor. His faith never wavered in God all through his sickness. He was such an encouragement and blessing to talk with. His trust in God and desire to make it to heaven were so evident in his testimony to the chaplain.
One lady really enjoys History and said she just read 4 books on Lincoln, Jefferson, Marie Antoinette and another one which I forgot. She told me that Maria was the one who invented the color Mauve. I found that interesting and something I will not easily forget. She was a beautiful lady who loves to read. I gave her a guidepost and had prayer with her. She kept holding my hand and it took a long tome before I got it back.

Decided to visit some patients in the surgery waiting room. These are people who have a family member who was in surgery. One lady was so pleased that the Chaplain stopped by to see her; she thought that was so nice and shared she had never had a chaplain do that before. She said she used to be a Democrat and married a Republican so she became a Republican. She did not want to call our president her president as she did not see him as so. She felt he was doing great damage to our country, and hated to watch the Fox news because she heard so much about what was going on. She likes Fox news but it disturbs her what is happening in our country. I gave her a Guidepost.

One day in the waiting room referred to me as young. I said I am not as young as you think. She said oh about 30's I said 51. Her mouth dropped open and she acted like she did not believe me. Another lady beside her said her daughter was 51 and she was looking it. Such nice people. Now aren't I prejudice- maybe a little. Ha! I will tell my husband that one!

Note form Chaplain Jeanne 3/6/2010

Visited a patient who had died. The nurse was crying and wanted prayer mainly for herself. I prayed ate the bedside of the deceased patient and with the nurse. Had another call to come because the family had arrived. Went and stayed with them for awhile and had prayer with all of them. They shared how he was a musician, a writer, and such a wonderful talented person. Families like to share those good moments when a loved one has passed away.

One patient who had been having back pain went and was told his lungs were fine, came to the hospital and is full of cancer and can hardly breathe. I sat with the wife who told me they had been married 15 years. She is shocked over this sudden turn of events for her husband. It just happened. They did not know all along his was so full of cancer. To me, it sounds like a malpractice on the medical end. She asked me if I would sit with him while she went to the restroom. While she was gone, I took the opportunity to talk with him about his spiritual condition, had prayer, and quoted some Scripture along with some hymns. I am not sure if he was with me in any of this or not. He was having such a hard time in labored breathing. I called her pastor for her and he came and gave him the last rites. I checked on them a few times later on and the next morning. She seemed to want to be with others and chaplain was not needed ay longer. Her pastor was coming after a funeral in which he had to attend. The staff felt she needed some church support and counseling.

There was a large group of family and friends in the waiting room over one patient who had just been taken of the ventilator. One member of the group said the patient was not ready to die and was hoping that I would have an opportunity to talk with her about her spiritual condition. I went into the patient’s room and after briefly talking, asked about her spiritual condition and if she had peace with God, She said she did not. I asked her if she would like to pray. She said she wanted to. I asked her to repeat the
Sinner’s Prayer after me which she did. She said she felt better. It is a privilege to meet needs especially spiritually needs of patients. I went back and shared her testimony with the family member that expressed her concern. God is faithful!

Another patient was crying in her room being in such pain and worrying about her kids with friends, and husband who was in jail. I called the jail for her to see if she could talk with him. The jail said they would have to have special permission and the police would not be in to do that until Monday. He also told me they have rarely done that before. I asked if I could leave a message for him to give to the husband who was in jail. He said he would try to do this. I conveyed what the patient told me regarding her needs expressed. She was so upset and crying. The staff had difficulty keeping an IV in her so she could not get her liquid pain medicine. I had prayer with her which she appreciated.

One patient was extremely disgruntled and wanted to leave the hospital. They did not like the fact that they did not know the staff there, and knew the staff at another hospital. They said the ambulance would not take her to her own hospital and brought her here. She was hopping mad! I check about her breakfast and got a nurse for her and them had prayer. She seemed to mellow down following the prayer. I am glad how wonderful prayer works in the lives of people.

I had a call from a staff (resident doctor) person who needed counseling for their anger, lack of empathy and remorse for the mother-in-law who was dying. They expressed concern over their guilt and anger and wanted to know about this. The felt they would dance on her grave when she died, and be so glad she was gone. Their mother-in-law had taken advantage of them, treated his wife mean, and used them financially. Now, she wanted to go away for a special treatment in CA to see if she could live longer, and he felt she had about 2-4 months to live with her cancer. He expressed what relief he would have when she died. She has gallbladder cancer. He wanted some clarification on his emotions and what was going on with him. He also wondered when and how to tell his wife these feelings he was having about her mother. He said she know some of them but not to this great extent. I shared some insight and he said it helped, and that he had a measure of stability for now.

Note form Chaplain Jeanne 3/03/2010

A fruitful day at the hospital in visitation. Visited many patients and saw quite a lot of pain today.It is sad to see those suffering so much, but due to surgery and other ailments that people have,this is part of life.

One man began talking with me and after I prayed with him, he began crying. He said to stop by anytime and pray with him if I am in the hall. That makes me feel bad, I passed this on the the next Chaplain to visit and pray with.

Some people are such an inspiration and God sends our way sometimes to help us. One lady, expressed how she had been abused, abandoned, and neglected, but that God did not abandon her. She said she had been ready to give up, and God gave her faith to trust Him. She was going to go to the nursing home, but God restored her faith. She
shared how she never forgot her pastor telling one time that faith was like sitting in a char, You trusted the chair to hold you up and that is the way God is; we can trust Him.

It was so sad to see a very young man in the bed who could not talk, finding it very difficult to communicate,and express how he was feeling, I tried my best to encourage him and prayed with him. As I prayed, his eyes welled
up in tears. He had been in a vehicle accident as a passenger with a drunk driver. He had a tube in his neck and his handswere in braces or something. He reminded me of my grandson and the recent accident that he went through.

Then, there are those who seem to want to convert the Chaplin if they could. One lady told me a Chaplain had visitedand she told them she was a Pentecostal and the chaplain would not stop. She did not like it apparently. She mentioned people walking the pews and that she did not handle snakes. She believed in being born again, and said that Catholics did not believe that. She talked a lot about her religion and finally right before I left shared that she had lost her brother whom
she had raised. She seemed to get emotional, but then we were interrupted by a staff member and I left.

One middle age (actually younger) lady said she had fell at Krogers on ice and broke her ankle. She was having surgery today due to this. She never imagined that is would end up that bad. Her husband told her she could have hurt her head.
That would have been worse - maybe.

It is a blessing to be a Chaplin, because I get to do everything that I want to do - visits people meeting so many new ones, preaching in chapel and the nursing home, leading in singing at the nursing home, and doing administrative work. Such a
well rounded position for me.