….when listening to my CNA videos.

I am in a Certified Nurses Aid (CNA) course currently. It is a clock hour course that I am taking through Washtenaw Community College (WCC) as a blended course. This means that the lecture/theory portion of the class is online and it has to show that I have been on there for 40 hours in order for it to be “legal.” It’s pretty much all common sense, so I’ve decided to take up blogging during this period. I’m listening to “Personal Care: Part 1” currently.

Every Thursday I support a resident at Dawn Farm Downtown (my DFD farmer) whom I’ll call Blondie. (Yes, I’m already practicing HIPAA procedures!) I pick up Blondie, get coffee with her, and take her to my home group where I am the treasurer. After the meeting, Blondie and I were talking with this woman, B2. She seemed to me that she was either already messed up or on the verge of relapse. We tried to give her our experience, strength, and hope. Nearing the end of our chat and right before we left the church to go home, Blondie had to go to the bathroom. B2 followed. I thought nothing of it. Blondie came up and I asked her where B2 was. She stated that she never came out of the stall. Oh my gosh. I asked Blondie to watch my daughter while I went down to find B2.

I thought that I was going to be walking into a situation where I was going to have to perform my new CPR certification skills I had just acquired the Sunday prior. I thought B2 had overdosed. I was scared. I walked down the stairs and into the women’s restroom. B2 was nowhere to be found. Searched all around the church and could not find her. JW, who holds the key to the church, came down and helped me look all around as well. I was scared. But apparently she just snuck out from one of the several exits downstairs.

I hope B2 is okay. I hope she isn’t dead. I hope she calls me on Thursday, as Blondie and I invited her to coffee before the meeting next Thursday. I remember when I was B2. A fateful 18 months ago. It was a sad time in my life, and I wouldn’t change any part of my current life. I am so grateful to be sober and able to be of service to those that need me. I’m able to be there for all of those B2’s I encounter.

I consider this to be a unique form of personal care. You cannot perform any activities of daily living (ADL’s) if the person is not living.