Meet Virginia

On Tuesday, Shannon got a roommate. 

Virginia arrived to share her room, only for one night, before being moved to an assisted living facility.  She was, if I had to guess, somewhere between 60 & 70, with short curly gray hair and a loud voice, that seemed as though it was somehow made louder by rolling sound thick Spanish accent. Virgina had also suffered a stroke 2 and a half months prior.  Although she could speak perfectly, her paralysis was ongoing.

Joanna, Janine and I were visiting with Shannon in her new bedroom, and Virginia’s son  was at her bedside for a short while, so a nurse closed the curtain between the two beds to offer each of them whatever privacy it could afford.

We asked Shannon about her day, what kinds of tests and exercises filled her afternoon and if she knew what her schedule would be for the rest of the week.   Earlier in the day, she’d had some sort of test that involved swallowing something, and for reasons I never complete understood, the meal we’d planned (Steak Tartar from the Living Room) had to be postponed.

Shannon told us that she had thought her days would be busier than the last two had been.  She said that if everyday was like this, she would be bored and perhaps go exploring the rest of the hospital.  One of the girls (I can’t recall who) suggested that she sneak into the maternity ward and stare at all the new babies for entertainment.  The mention of babies must have made our uterus’ kick into overdrive because we actually chatted about what a great idea this would be for a few minutes. 

All of a sudden this booming stage-worthy voice piped up from the other side of the curtain and said “Girls, girls GIRLS.  No, no, NO.  What you want wit BABIES?! You don want that. No Babies!” Then she continued in a wistful voice “Go to da GYM. There are so many mens there in da day. Nice mens. Wit nice muscles, and da loose clothing, you know?”  All of us were roaring!  Undaunted, and not in any way kidding, Virginia continued.  “Oh yaaa, you will  like it, you will see.  Wit their muscles, in their clothes, and its real nice because they are all vulnerable!” 

If laughter really is the best medicine, we ALL got a little healing from Virginia’s one night stay.  I hope she is well, wherever she is now.