There is an older gentleman in a wheelchair with a cowboy hat who comes in for dialysis. He does not speak English. Just about every time he comes in, after about 30 minutes, he starts getting real agitated and kicks into a sort of distressed chant. He is obviously very uncomfortable. If someone does not stay right there with him he will try to get up and leave… even while hooked up to the dialysis machine.
After a few minutes of this routine Maria kicks into gear and takes charge. I have watched Maria and these nurses massage his neck, and massage his head in an effort to calm him down and ease his stress. Sometimes they just sit beside him and try to ease the strain. But many times there is no calming him down so Maria calls up an interpreter to see if she can determine what is ailing him. Sometimes they have to cart him off to the hospital. Sometimes they make some sort of adjustment and he seems to calm down. In any case Maria and her colleagues do whatever they have to, tending to this gentleman's needs, looking after his well-being.
I am just sitting there hooked up to a machine with nothing else to do except marvel at just how well these nurses and techs perform their tasks. There have been numerous occasions that I thought to myself, "geez… these folks are really good at what they do!"
Maria takes great care of us.