Speak Out Loud When you where younger did you ever dream of becoming a fire fighter or police officer? Well I did, I had big dreams to become something different every day, and nothing could ever stop me. My mom taught me at a young age that you can be whatever you want to be as long as you try, so some could see why I was not able to choose a solid career path. While I was a teenager, I still did not know what career path I wanted to choose. But in the course of figuring out my own destiny, I learned the value of life and how to live it to the fullest from an individual who has impacted y life forever.
As a senior in high school, many students are Just waiting to get the year over with so they can get out and others are Just thinking about getting into classes with their friends. For me it was different, I had already chosen my career path with a little help from a man named John Cole. I met Mr.. John Cole while earning my hours volunteering at a nursing home. I was the assistant nurse assigned to Mr.. Cole by Mrs.. Larson, my nursing advisor. Amongst my class mates, I believe that I made the loosest connection to my patient and attained more information about his life before he came to the nursing home.
Mr.. John Cole was an eighty year old man who lived in an assisted living facility for the elderly. With a glance at his appearance, some might think nothing was wrong but they would be mistaken. Unfortunately he had an underlying ghastly disease and Alchemists was its name. Alchemists is a disease that affects the brain and is a form of dementia with an unknown cause, characterized by memory lapses, confusion, and progressive loss of mental ability. This disease caused him mental agitation when he could not remember his short term memory. Before Mr..
John Cole entered the assisted living facility he was a co- executive for Exxon Mobile and was very successful in every perspective of life. Once being knowledgeable and now not being able to remember what he had for breakfast was very degrading for Mr.. Cole. As I got to know a little more about Mr.. John Cole he elaborated on his memorable exciting life, with two kids and a loving wife. Everything in his life was running smoothly until one day he slipped on some water and broke is hip. Around thirty your bones become less dense which causes them to lose their strength, Mr..
Cole was sixty when he plummeted onto the hard tile floor. Some could imagine how brittle his bones might have been at that age in time. Not able to care for Mr.. Cole herself his wife had to send him to short term care at an assisted living facility to recover. While in the nursing home trying to recover, the nurses found Mr.. Cole to be acting a little different. During his check up one afternoon the nurse noticed that he had forgotten to use the restroom, when she asked Mr.. Cole if he was ware that he soiled himself to her surprise he told her no he had not.
After going to her supervisor the nurse found that he had been scheduled to go to the doctor the very next day to get an x-ray of his hip so she ordered an MR. to be done as well. Upon arrival to the nursing home the nurses’ received confirmation of his MR. and it showed that Mr.. Cole had developed a tumor in his brain as well as Alchemists disease. The doctor told Mr.. Cole and his wife of the horrible news the MR. exposed, boot were determined to this disease they knew very little to, but the doctors and urges reassured that they would give him the best of care he needed to receive. Mrs..
Cole was adamant on bringing her husband home to take care of him herself as long as she possibly could. On her way to come pick her husband up from the assisted living facility Mrs.. Cole was involved in a three car pileup which resulted in her death. Even after hearing this news Mr.. Cole seemed oblivious to what was happening in the world around him. He continues to live that day over and over again; the day his wife will be coming to get him and bring him home. Although it mess to sound depressing it’s not because every morning that man wakes up with a big smile on his face and is anything but unhappy.
Mr.. Cole taught me not only through his words but also through his actions to live everyday to the fullest, do not waste time being sad because that is time wasted that you could be happy and enjoying your life. He once said to me “Being young is something to cherish, because you have your whole life ahead of you to become successful and grow a life with someone special”, while your young you can work to change the course your life is owing to take and the person you’re going to be.
John Cole shared many portions and events of his life with me, and to see the Joy on his face when talking about his family made me appreciate that I am still young and able to live my life the way I see is right. The volunteer work I completed at the assisted living facility brought me too new level of maturity. I was affected by this event because it helped me receive the grasp of knowledge I needed, to know what career path I desired. Still today I live by the motto “actions speak louder than words” and Mr..
Cole helped me to see that it is true. I believe that it is not the event that changes your perspective on life, but the people who make the event. Learning how you can really affect people’s lives Just by helping them out in their time of need has made me a different person and also has helped me choose to become a nurse. Now I portray myself as a new person with a different view on life, due to the actions and loving words from not only Mr.. Cole, but all the people I have encountered throughout the course of my life.
