Getting it

I live for moments like the one I just got to experience. My patient finally "got it!" She decided to take hold of the last remaining days and quit taking the ativan and wake up and live! She is thinking about Christmas, even New Years. She could finally say, "so this is it, I am going to die. Really die. There is no cure." It's gotta be hard to be able to say, and she did it and I am so proud of her for not letting this disease drag her down slowly.
I almost did a happy dance when she told me she did not want any more ativan. You could almost see a cloud lifted off her family, who were obviously having a hard time watching her barely able to keep her eyes open. You knew they wanted to have every minute with her awake and able to share the time together, not be alone in it. They know the alone time will come.
My patients surprise me sometimes, and I love it when they do. I feel like I changed someone's life, made it better. It's good to be me. I love my job!