LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Hello!  This is a note of gratitude to a whole bunch of good people who I had not known until recently.  Each person, responsibly handling his or her assigned position, has helped me recuperate from the painful situation of breaking my left elbow and hip, and fracturing the left side of my pelvis in a fall that occurred the last week of February as I was washing my apartment floors.

After Dr. Isaac Fehenbacher, of Orthopaedic Associates, put Ms. Humpty Dumpty together again, I spent a week in Deaconess Midtown before being transferred to Brickyard Healthcare on Chandler Avenue, the former site of Golden Living Brentwood.  Brickyard, a long-term extended care facility, was purchased a short while ago and has been upgraded by the two sisters who bought the place – whose efforts resulted in Brickyard’s being named “Facility of the Year” in competition with the other Brickyard organizations located throughout Indiana.

Many friends and neighbors agree that ours has become an increasingly shallow society.  Often those whose jobs are the most necessary do not receive the community respect or financial support they deserve.  (What if our garbage was never picked up!)  These viewpoints change when our very lives or their improvements/healing depend upon what is done.  Our personal priorities shift as our experiences affect our lifestyles.

There is a positive term practiced by those willing to help others who find themselves partially or totally disabled for whatever length of time is involved: “lovingkindness”.  Mentioned several times in the Bible, this concept is the foundation for living taught by the Lord Jesus Christ as He healed the sick and fed folks physically and spiritually.  His final act of lovingkindness was in giving His life so that all who believe that He is God would have their sinful actions forgiven as they spend an eternity without cruelty of any kind.

The staff at Brickyard Healthcare practice loving-kindness repeatedly.  Patients are constantly encouraged; rough days are tolerated.  Healing is work!  Although this comment applies to all the Brickyard staff, I must start by praising the C.N.A,’s.  They start their days knowing that quite often they will deal with some awful situations, yet their job is to become the physical substitute for those parts of us that just aren’t working- rolling us over, helping us up, feeding us.  Every time I had to have help with a matter that was both complex and very painful, I would say to all those involved that I had no idea why they did this work, but that I was SO GLAD they had chosen to do it!!

Brickyard’s nurses are some of the most organized and intelligent to be found anywhere.  Besides the dispensing of endless medications, they must be able to decide – with a doctor’s O.K. – the proper treatment for side effects, some quite serious, that suddenly develop.  Without warning, I developed a condition that appeared at least twice a week, during which my face, hands and legs would turn beet red.  Then, after exactly ten minutes and without any medication taken, the condition stopped.

Brickyard has units to meet the needs of all those sick or injured.  There are hospice and dementia sections.  Although one is certain they were left over from the Spanish Inquisition, the incredibly knowledgeable physical and occupational therapists offer therapies of all kinds to strengthen or creatively substitute items for body parts whose original purpose has ended or changed drastically.  

One of the most delightful departments is Brickyard’s Activities Center.  An entire daily calendar offers various exercise sessions, puzzles, games and other activities to both challenge and encourage the clients, whether individually or in a group setting.  The effects of getting together in a pleasant environment offer its own form of healing!

The Dietary Department has the fascinating job of balancing doctor’s orders and resident wishes, Brickyard’s Dietary posts the day’s menus, and likewise offers several alternative dishes that residents eating the regular meals can select if the dietary staff is notified within a specified time.  No one person could possibly agree with all the food offerings, but I was amazed at the number of delicious, very filling meals provided!

Evansville is becoming home to more and more medical and related organizations that help those whose lives have been – sometimes suddenly – turned upside down.  I am so grateful that I was sent to Brickyard Healthcare.  It is hard enough to deal with losing control of major parts of your daily life.  Knowing there is help throughout the nightmare, and help based on lovingkindness, makes all the difference in the world.  

To the entire staff of Brickyard Healthcare: Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  And Blessings for every day!! 

Ellen Sprepski