Matt P Saul
August 2023
Matt P
Saul
,
RN
CC1
Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes
Camden
,
NJ
United States
Matt was incredible with my dad. He laughed with us and enjoyed hearing stories about my dad as we tried to get him to remember things.
My father came to VOLOL in April. He had a choking event at a restaurant, went into cardiac arrest, no shockable rhythm, 3 rounds of Epi boluses, when a rhythm was finally established. He was 10-15 minutes without oxygen, intubated in the field then brought to the hospital. He was unresponsive with posturing. Our family was coming to terms with the fact that my father would not survive the next few days.
Our family, however, received what most families only hope for….a miracle. In May, my father came off the vent. He was able to speak to us. He was able to laugh with us. Over the weekend my father had Matt as his nurse. Matt quickly became known to us as “the stick guy.” This is how my father referred to him because he would give him the wet suction tip to wet his mouth. Matt was incredible with my dad. He laughed with us and enjoyed hearing stories about my dad as we tried to get him to remember things.
My dad is a bourbon connoisseur. He would joke with Matt about it. He would ask for Bourbon instead of water. Matt would tell him when he would wet his mouth that it was bourbon, only to laugh when my dad would call him out on it. Matt happily took on the nickname stick guy by my dad. My dad could not remember his name and often referred to him as the stick guy.
Matt was very attentive to my dad. He always told my dad what he was doing and why. He often apologized for making him uncomfortable when he had to turn him. He knew my dad was in pain from his fractured ribs from when CPR was performed. He always made sure my dad looked presentable and clean.
I would tell my dad that he was in my hospital and that I was the boss to get him to understand he had to listen to me. I did this so he would follow the instructions of the nurses. This was something my dad understood “My house, my rules.” I would often hear my dad tell Matt that he was in his daughter’s hospital and she was the boss. Matt would tell him he was correct and that his daughter was the boss and she was very good at it. He must have done a good job raising her. My dad would smile so big.
Sadly, my dad passed a few days later. I truly feel that my dad had a great few days before he passed. A lot of this is because of the care and conversations Matt gave him.
Our family, however, received what most families only hope for….a miracle. In May, my father came off the vent. He was able to speak to us. He was able to laugh with us. Over the weekend my father had Matt as his nurse. Matt quickly became known to us as “the stick guy.” This is how my father referred to him because he would give him the wet suction tip to wet his mouth. Matt was incredible with my dad. He laughed with us and enjoyed hearing stories about my dad as we tried to get him to remember things.
My dad is a bourbon connoisseur. He would joke with Matt about it. He would ask for Bourbon instead of water. Matt would tell him when he would wet his mouth that it was bourbon, only to laugh when my dad would call him out on it. Matt happily took on the nickname stick guy by my dad. My dad could not remember his name and often referred to him as the stick guy.
Matt was very attentive to my dad. He always told my dad what he was doing and why. He often apologized for making him uncomfortable when he had to turn him. He knew my dad was in pain from his fractured ribs from when CPR was performed. He always made sure my dad looked presentable and clean.
I would tell my dad that he was in my hospital and that I was the boss to get him to understand he had to listen to me. I did this so he would follow the instructions of the nurses. This was something my dad understood “My house, my rules.” I would often hear my dad tell Matt that he was in his daughter’s hospital and she was the boss. Matt would tell him he was correct and that his daughter was the boss and she was very good at it. He must have done a good job raising her. My dad would smile so big.
Sadly, my dad passed a few days later. I truly feel that my dad had a great few days before he passed. A lot of this is because of the care and conversations Matt gave him.