The Power of Touch

The Power of Touch
I worked as a medical/surgical nurse at a busy hospital and was
young in years and experience when this happened.

I had a patient to care for on my night shift along with eight
others. This particular patient did not talk, move or even give
me eye response when I was speaking to her.

She was alone; no family. She was a DNR (do not resuscitate),
no heroic measures for her, just let her be.
She was on the telemonitor, which watches what the heart is
doing, rate, rhythm, etc.

After I did my initial assessment (like a physical exam), I
repositioned her, placed pillows at the areas known to have
skin breakdown (any bony prominence) and tried to make her
more comfortable. Then I went to speak to the nurse watching
the telemonitor for the shift so I could find out her rhythm,
etc. to put in my nurse's notes.

I was shocked when she pointed to the screen that displayed my
patient, "This is what a dying heart looks like."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She didn't look to be in
any distress when I was just with her. I asked a few questions
then quickly went back to the patient. Still no change.

As the evening went on, I got patients admitted from the emergency
room and things got very busy. I had to make time to check on my
"special" lady.

Every four hours I like to check vital signs if someone is in
this state. I took them again; pulse rate and blood pressure
were lower. I was standing at the bedside and could talk to the
telemonitor nurse over the intercom in the room. I asked her if
there has been any change.

"The heart rate is 60 and dropping." While I was checking blood
pressure and breathing rate, suddenly there were two other
nurses and several nurses aid's in the room. Since she was DNR,
there was absolutely nothing we could do.

The other members stood and watched as the voice over the
intercom said, "Heart rate is 50 and dropping." Her respiratory
rate dropped from the normal 20 a minute to 15 then 10.
She was going.

I stood there feeling completely helpless. I must do something.
The only thing to do was pray.

"Heart rate is 40."

I prayed silently and looked around the room. Everyone was just
standing, watching, with their hands clasped in front of them.
She was not struggling, but lying peacefully with her hands across
her chest, rising slower and slower as her breaths decreased.

Speaking to the intercom I said, "Her breathing is 5."
Of course I am touching her while checking blood pressure but it
is not the same as "touching" her.
After a moment her breathing stopped completely.
The feeling of helplessness came forward again.

My mind told me, as many people who are in this room we can't
do anything to help her, but I can touch her and let her know
she is not alone.

I placed my left hand across her hands lying on her chest.

Immediately, she took in a long, hard very deep breath.
The other people in the room looked at each other, then me, then
the patient.

"She's breathing again!
What's her heart rate?" I was shouting to the intercom.
"She's back up to 60, what did you do?" came the booming voice
from the speaker.
"I'll tell you in a minute, let me check a blood pressure."

It was low but far from dead. Her breathing got stronger and
more like normal. She did not die that night, Thank God.

The last I heard she had made a full recovery and was discharged
from the hospital. She was gone when I came back to work a
couple of days later.

Don't deny the healing powers of touch; I never will.
By Kim Ellenburg, North Richland Hills, Tenn
Thank you for this letter. I believe it to be a real life story.
Jan Bagwell
God Bless

We are doing well

We Are Doing Well
I am writing in response to the joke issue called “Success.”
I once heard a preacher from Malawi. His sermon had a very
simple message, but one that struck a chord in my life. I would
like to share this with you.

He said that when he was in Europe or in the United States, he
noticed that people said “I’m great” (meaning I am doing well,
things are great for me), therefore everything around me is
great.

He said that in Africa, this is not what people say. In Africa,
they say, “We are all doing well, therefore I am great.”

I am not gifted with words in the same way he was, but I agree
that it is only when we work together as a community that we are
able to be the people that we are truly meant to be. That is
when we are really great; because the light of Christ is alive
and glowing in us.

This is the kind of success that I want.

How about you?
Jan Bagwell
God Bless
Thank God for the healing of me and my mother . And thanks to my brothers and sisters in Christ who send up many prayer for us . I am a very rich man to have so many friends that pray for me . God Bless all of you !

Life's Mirror

Life’s Mirror
There are loyal hearts , there are spirits brave ,
There are souls that are pure and true ;
Then give to the world the best you have .
And the best will come to you .

Give love , and love to your life flow,
And strength in your inmost needs ;
Have faith , and a score of hearts will show
Their faith in your work and deeds .

Give truth ,and your gifts will be paid in kind ,
And song a song will meet ;
And the smile which is sweet will surely find
A smile that is just as sweet .

Give pity and sorrow to those who mourn ;
You will gather in flowers again
The scattered seeds from your thought out-borne
Though the sowing seemed in vain .

For life is the mirror of king and slave ,
“Tis just what we are and do ;
Then give to the world the best you have
And the best will come back to you
Jan Bagwell
God Bless
Please remember me and my mother in pray .
What ever you sow you will reap .

An Easter Trilogy

An Easter Trilogy

Good Friday

This is the day He suffered,
This is the day He died ,
The day the angels cried ,

This is the day the soldiers jeered
When they nailed him to the cross ,
The day that foolish people cheered ,
Not a ware of their great loss ,

This is the day the doves flew away ,
The day that His blood ran free ,
This is the day mankind was saved ,
This day at Calvary .

This is the day of heart ache
The day of sacrifice ,
This is the day He led the way ,
Into Paradise .

This is the day we need to pray ,
We need to fall upon our knee’s
This is the day we need to say ,
Father , forgive us , Please !!
Jan Bagwell
God Bless
Please pray for me , I am very sick . Thank you

The Bent atenna

The Bent Antenna

I have a six year old Honda car that has given me nothing but
satisfaction since the day I bought it. If it has given me any
trouble, it was very minor, and even better, it was covered by
the warranty.

I would very highly recommend this model of vehicle to anyone
who's in the market for a virtually trouble-free car.

I know that it's improper to place too much value on material
possessions, so you will have to excuse me when I tell you that
I absolutely love this car.

It is very well kept, the interior is still very clean,
the mats are not soiled and dirty, it gets a hand wax job every
few months, and the engine still hums like a mockingbird. I've
had absolutely no complaints, until recently...

I was hurriedly leaving home early one sunny Saturday morning.
My haste resulted in some significant damage being inflicted on
my car.

I didn't realize that my garage door had only released half way.

As I backed out of the garage, I broke my antenna on the
incompletely opened garage door. There was enough room for the
entire car to go through, so it wasn't until I was completely
out of the garage that I saw that the door hadn't opened all the
way.

It was also at that moment that I realized that the loud
scrubbing noise I had ignored only a few seconds earlier was my
antenna being attacked by the garage door.

My antenna was horribly mangled. What significant damage!!

It may not seem significant, but it is.

The purpose of a car antenna is to receive radio signals.

Without an antenna, no signal can be received.

Now, when my antenna goes up, it makes a very noisy, grinding
sound. It sounds like a jackhammer trying to break up asphalt.

It's as though the antenna takes on the same human-like
stubbornness when someone is made to do something that he/she
has no desire to accomplish.

When the antenna goes down, it's noisy. Again, it's displaying
its resistance to perform the duty that it was designed to do.

Not only that, it won't even completely retract so I end up
driving around with a bent antenna.

Bent antennas and Honda cars are not a desirable combination.

Once I saw the damage to my car antenna, it was easy for me to
see how sometimes our built-in, innate antennas, our source of
direction, can show the same signs of damage that my physical
antenna suffered.

How's your antenna?

All of us have them, you know. Sometimes we refer to them as
that "something" that "told me".

It's that little nudge that makes you think twice when you're in
doubt about something you are about to do.

Do you receive sound advice and guidance grudgingly and
unwillingly? Or do you welcome it cheerfully and happily, and
then act on it?

Do you go around bent out of shape?

Does even the slightest "scrub" totally disrupt your day?

Does friction from another source cause you to react with an
equal, but opposite, reaction?

Or do you produce the same friction?

A bent, grudging, disobedient antenna is worse than no antenna
at all. If I had completely severed my antenna, at least I
wouldn't have to worry about its reluctance to extend and
receive.

There would have been no signal to receive, and I could plead
ignorance. But my bent, damaged antenna offers no excuses,
because I can still hear all the radio stations. My antenna
just doesn't make it easy for me to enjoy them.

As a result, I choose to keep the radio turned off altogether.
That way I don't have to hear that irritating noise as the
antenna reluctantly extends.

Does it take a while for your antenna to go up, when it should
be active and receptive at all times?

Your antenna is always working, always willing to pick up the
signal that offers the guidance that you're looking for.

That's what it's there for.

Learn to trust it.

Jan Bagwell
God Bless