the list

The chaplain meets five people today. Each of them is unique and their situations different.

Three drinkers, a mourner and a wanderer.

·         All precious in the eyes of God.

·         All in need of help.

·         All taking it one day at a time.

The first patient—the mourner—is overwhelmed by a gut-wrenching physical problem. But the only topic of conversation is grief.

An illegal immigrant killed a family member.  With ICE in the news so much, the person is stuck in the second stage of grief: anger.

The chaplain listens. Comfort is provided. Then he moves on to visit someone else on the list.

This patient—a drinker—is in denial and refuses to accept the diagnosis: “If you keep drinking, you’ll die.” The person threatens to leave against medical advice but ultimately decides to stay.

A plan is articulated: once discharged, go home, sit on the couch, watch TV and continue to drink. As always, a co-dependent friend will address every conceivable need.

The chaplain listens. Comfort is provided. Then he moves on to visit someone else on the list.

This patient—another drinker—is in a totally different place than the last one. The grim diagnosis is accepted. Even embraced.

After suffering withdrawal symptoms, God is calling this person to pursue a healthier lifestyle. While the new life still requires donating plasma to pay bills, no more alcohol will be consumed. Sobriety isn’t the problem, but finding a ride home is.

The chaplain listens. Comfort is provided. Then he moves on to visit someone else on the list.

This patient—the wanderer—is in denial and has been on a county-wide journey in the last 24 hours: from home to a warming center to the library and now the emergency room. The diagnosis is mental health problems. A threat to self-harm results in “close observation,” more commonly known as “suicide watch.”

But the person is convinced that family, friends and even complete strangers are the real problem. All are controlling and manipulating. Thus, threatening to put a gun to the head is the only viable solution. As always, the family offers help. And, as always, their offers are rejected.

The chaplain listens. Comfort is provided. Then he moves on to visit someone else on the list.

This patient—another drinker—is in a mood to bargain. Yelling, “I’m not an alcoholic!” doesn’t work. But diplomacy does.  

So, the person decides to make a deal: accept the situation, pretend the diagnosis is real and don’t rock the boat. In exchange, the doctor rewards good behavior with a quicker discharge and a return to the status quo: alcoholism.

The chaplain listens. Comfort is provided. Then he returns to the office, charts the visits and goes home.

###