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The Philly VA's Sick & Dying

Lewis

Lewis

Member
The sick and the dying at the VA Hospital. When I am at work I am around the sick and the dying at Building 30 which is a home and hospice for Vets, which is connected to the main VA Hospital building across the street. They are a bunch of great men and women, which there is only 3 women there. Many are lonely many are in manual and motorized wheel chairs. So 5 days a week I have to see and deal with these men and women. I get really sad when I go to the palliative ward, 2 days ago I was taking a food tray to room 113 and a nurse met me and said there is no use in taking that tray in there because he died.

So I looked in the room and saw his family standing around his body. Today at the palliative ward I paid close attention to each and everyone of them because their bodies are on it's way to the grave quickly. Some of them you can see that they are on their way out. Some of these people don't have anybody to love them but us. Some of them are still very sharp in the mind and some of them are not. Many of them can't eat unless they are spoon fed like you do a baby. Some of them still go outside to smoke and some of them just sit in the hall all day in wheel chairs.
I applaud our government for taking very good care of these Vets that costs billions of dollars a year. We give them quality care, here all patients are known by name by everyone. Many just want someone to talk to.

And to many the highlight of the day is breakfast, lunch and dinner. And some of them don't like the food. And will let you know so. The government sends all kinds of entertainment and activities for those who can participate and I mean all kinds of stuff for them. But many of them will die in this place, but before they do, I want to give honor to these men and women, and I try to do that everyday.
 
It's a real ministry that you have there, Lewis...especially for the folks that have no family. Continue to reach out with God's love to them and be sure to tell them about all of us who are so thankful for their service and what they've done.

:salute
 
lewis, if i am in the united states next year and its on veterans day please send me some pics. i want the kids to see that when i redo the veterans day thing for them.
 
Jason what do you mean if you are in the United States ? And what do you want some of the pictures of the old Vets ? If that is the case I can do that.
 
you know what i am doing for our country and what i mean. and yes i want the kids to see the men that did and do get injured so that they can have a face to that next time.

they loved what i had them do. i told them of the history of the medal of honor,.the bronse star and the purple heart. i even had an elder read the citation of a medal of honor recepient and why we november 11th is the day we do honor them and also what taps is for and had them stand in silence for the vets that died. and also the colors and a twenty one gun salute.
 
Oh just in case you get deployed. Yeah I can get some pictures, I will take some on Thanksgiving day, because I have to pull the 11:30 Am to the 8:00 PM shift. They really try to hook the Vets up on holidays, with food and activities and those who can get a go home pass get to go home. And those who stay are really cared for. I love this country.
 
You do a great service. Hospice for vets or the general population is a wonderful service. We constantly fought with uncaring nurses at the hosptial with my mother, but when she was sent home with hospice care, the two nurses were great, kind, loving. I remember once in the hospital my mom had explosive, er..bowels. I beeped for a nurse 3 times explaining I couldn't hold her as she had to be taken out of bed and clean her, really a nurses job..I did finally get her cleaned up,...nurse finally showed 20 minutes later. I will say the day nurse was great, the others terrible.

It is sad to watch our loved ones turn back into almost babies where you have to do everything for them while they suffer in death...Now with Christmas coming I would gladly clean my mother a dozen times a day to see her, but I know she wouldn't stand to live like that.
 
Thanksgiving day many went home on a pass and some got family visits, and some had nobody to come see them and care for them. I was watching a nurse spoon feed a Vet today which is normal around here, and I started thinking about that ole saying Once A Man Twice A Child. I was like wow that could be me one day being spoon fed or wearing a Depends diaper. There is one stroke victim there that can do nothing for herself. And I was thinking, this women once served her country and now it is time for us to serve her, because she can't do anything for herself. Sometimes this stuff will make you question God, and ask Him why ? Why all this suffering God, You God created and built this system of things. Why do we have to suffer in our bodies like this for the sins of Adam why God why ?
 
Lewis W said:
Thanksgiving day many went home on a pass and some got family visits, and some had nobody to come see them and care for them. I was watching a nurse spoon feed a Vet today which is normal around here, and I started thinking about that ole saying Once A Man Twice A Child. I was like wow that could be me one day being spoon fed or wearing a Depends diaper. There is one stroke victim there that can do nothing for herself. And I was thinking, this women once served her country and now it is time for us to serve her, because she can't do anything for herself. Sometimes this stuff will make you question God, and ask Him why ? Why all this suffering God, You God created and built this system of things. Why do we have to suffer in our bodies like this for the sins of Adam why God why ?
Click to expand...
i went to the oldest cemetery and saw the poor in how they bury their dead with hand made markers and stones and also even some recent were abandoned. the grave yard has stones as young 1906 and as recent till 2011.

my wife had family there and her grandparents were there and yet someone came and took care of some of them but not all.

vanity, our life is but a vapor.
 
Lewis W said:
Thanksgiving day many went home on a pass and some got family visits, and some had nobody to come see them and care for them. I was watching a nurse spoon feed a Vet today which is normal around here, and I started thinking about that ole saying Once A Man Twice A Child. I was like wow that could be me one day being spoon fed or wearing a Depends diaper. There is one stroke victim there that can do nothing for herself. And I was thinking, this women once served her country and now it is time for us to serve her, because she can't do anything for herself. Sometimes this stuff will make you question God, and ask Him why ? Why all this suffering God, You God created and built this system of things. Why do we have to suffer in our bodies like this for the sins of Adam why God why ?
Click to expand...

The question of suffering and evil have perplexed the greatest minds since man could express himself...why God why? In the late 80's-early 90's I did mission work with our church in Africa and Borneo, the tribe we worked with converted to Christ in mass, but their suffering continued. It was horrible, try as we may thousands died from hunger, no meds, water, shelter....what we consider basic needs. To watch children suffer so in hunger for months before they die...hard to witness, often you would see them just laying dead beside the road. Here in America we often hear God will provide our basic needs, but are christians less that live in 3rd world nations? Still, we know Paul often went hungry, without shelter, lived in pain, etc.,.
 
Ace1234 said:
The question of suffering and evil have perplexed the greatest minds since man could express himself...why God why? In the late 80's-early 90's I did mission work with our church in Africa and Borneo, the tribe we worked with converted to Christ in mass, but their suffering continued. It was horrible, try as we may thousands died from hunger, no meds, water, shelter....what we consider basic needs. To watch children suffer so in hunger for months before they die...hard to witness, often you would see them just laying dead beside the road. Here in America we often hear God will provide our basic needs, but are christians less that live in 3rd world nations? Still, we know Paul often went hungry, without shelter, lived in pain, etc.,.
Click to expand...
Watching little children die is hard to watch, it makes you ask God why and to see those people in Africa give their lives to Christ and children still die in mass, makes you ask God why, and you want a answer.
 
I watched them take a flag draped body out of there Tuesday, the palliative is being depleted at a fast rate, about 1 and sometimes 2 a week. Many don't even know that you are in the room with them. And then there is one on that ward who is very upbeat, and active, but he is on his way out of here. Then there is Benny he is not sickly but he rides his motorized wheelchair around with different law enforcement hats on everyday. He thinks that he is the Ward Police. But you know I look at them getting fed or I look at them getting their Depends changed and I say that could be me. I wonder if I would want to live on like that. I don't want nobody changing or feeding me. So I ask myself can I live like that or would I want to be on life support, the answer is no.
 
Yeah Jason I don't want anybody changing me and feeding me. I would rather die. Now if it was for a short while and I was going to get better and back to normal or near normal as where I could go to the bathroom myself. I could see it, but to linger like that for years or many months scares me to death.
 
dnr does wonders. it almost seems that you support euthansia for the terminally ill.

i have a dnr meaning that i am terminally ill and die dont revive me let me pass.

that is way different then i got told i have early stages of cancer and ask to be euthanised.
 
No I do not support that Jason. But if I am in a lot of pain like last stage cancer, or something. Give me Morphine until I leave the planet.
 
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