There are times when things happen not logically explainable. My first experience with strange happenings was when I had a patient die. It was my first death working as a hospice nurse. The gentleman, I'll call him Charlie was at the end of his life and on comfort medications. Comfort medications are different medicines to keep a patient out of pain and not having terminal agitation, so they can have a peaceful passing. As a hospice nurse, it was not only my job but my responsibility to make sure a patient was comfortable. I was able to get Charlie comfortable, not in pain, and not having any terminal agitation.

It is said that the hearing is the last to go, and Charlie proved that when his wife told him she called their daughter and she would be arriving in about 45 minutes. Charlie had not been verbal at all up until this time and said to his wife "Why?" I was taken aback at this time. His wife explained their daughter, has not spoken to them for many years. She only lives an hour away, but never comes and visits because of the rift between her and her father. I tell this part of the story because it shows how precious relationships are. Charlie passed away 15 minutes before his daughter arrived, and needless to say, the daughter was devastated. The guilt of not talking to her father before he did was so obvious, and I felt so sad for her.

This changed me and made me realize that not only is life precious, but the relationships we have are precious. I started to take life one day at a time, along with trying to repair any relationships that I could. I also realized it is a two-way street with any relationship, and I needed to ensure I do what I can. I also realized I should not feel guilty if the other person doesn't want to repair the relationship. This has also helped me with my everyday life, and how I live it.

After everyone arrived to see Charlie I stepped out of the room into the living room/dining room to do paperwork giving the family time together and with the patient. As I was sitting alone concentrating on paperwork the room began to get cold. I had to put on my scrub jacket because it was getting very cold. Cold enough to feel like winter in the house. Then suddenly the radio turned on and was playing gospel music. The room is cold and the radio clicking on was weird enough, but a family member came out of the room and states Charlie was sending them a message that he was alright.

I kept my cool and continued to take care of the patient and ready him for transport to the funeral home. The family waited for transport to say their last goodbyes. After transport picked up the patient and I said my condolences and gave my support to the family any way I could, I climbed in my car and just sat there for a minute trying to make sense of the whole thing. I know patients will talk to people who I can't see, or anyone else can see. I have had family members tell me that the name said is a name of a person who has already passed away. So maybe it was Charlie who turned on the radio to gospel music as a sign. The radio was playing in the 50s and 60's when I first arrived at the house, and then it was turned off. In addition, I was the only one in the room and I didn't turn it on or even see a remote for the radio. This is the first of many weird and strange things I have experienced as a hospice nurse.

I always talk to my patients whether they answer or not, even when they have passed. Strange and unusual things don't bother me, because my family has always had strange and unusual things happen to them. My grandmother, I was told, had second sight as they called it. My heritage comes from Spanish Gypsies. I believe this has added to my having a hospice heart, and being able to deal with the strange and unusual that happen at times.

I was so good at dealing with strange and unusual events, I had many of my colleagues reach out to me to assist them with some strange and unusual. In addition, if something crazy would happen to me my bosses would say, "I'm glad it was you it happened to because you don't panic and can deal with crazy." As I stated in the beginning I was a natural, so I had a hospice heart. The next few chapters are incidents of the strange, unusual, and crazy I have dealt with as a hospice nurse.