From the home front...a compliment ...I think?!

Part of the work of a chaplain is to visit every new 'admit' to the hospital to assess their spiritual needs. It's not a secretive or hidden thing. It is about treating the whole person-mind, body and soul. It's about good care and support.

One of the givens is "you never know who you are going to meet!" Imagine cold calling sick people all day long.... Actually I love the ministry. I consider it sacred work.

That being said....

"Hi, I'm the Chaplain. Can I be of service or support to you?" The patient is in the fetal position watching a DVD on his laptop. He looks 24, but is in his 50's. He is very thin.

"I doubt it. I'm not sure anyone can help me. I'll be alright. This is not the first time or the last time I will be in the hospital."

"That sounds very serious?"

"Only since I was eight." So he has a sarcastic sense of humor and outlook. "You don't want to hear about it."

"Maybe I'd surprise you, tell me your story if you want to..."

Over the next 15 minutes I get a detailed, comprehensive life story of significant and somewhat tradegic medical illnesses and complications.

"What really ticks me off is when nurses and doctors don't listen to me. I guess you are here because I had a melt down today. You probably heard about it?" "No, I haven't." And I had not, sometimes the chaplain does here the bad news about a non-compliant patient and 'gets sent in to fix it.' Or at least the nursing team tries. I am not a cop or the enforcer of civility. Sometimes patients get angry for a wide variety of reasons, low coping skills, pain (big deal), medicine reactions, family conflict, grief and loss issues, and much much more. The anger is a symptom of something else. Instead of focusing on the cause we tend to focus on the explosion. The explosion is about carnage; the cause is much deeper and healing that will make a significant difference.

"I would imagine it is really annoying to think that people are not listening to you and that you don't know your own body?"

"Exactly, that makes me nuts and it's why I went off. It was wrong and I have apologized, but people need to listen."

"It seems so basic and simplistic. I am sorry you were mistreated. We are all human. We all have good moments and bad moments. Our goal is to provide high quality care. I'm sorry."

"Wow, I have to tell you that I honestly don't have a kind word to say about ministers or chaplains; in fact, most of them irritate me. But you're not that horrible...and I mean that in a good way."

"I'll try harder next time, thank you for the complement."