“Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.” – Jeremiah 8:5 (NIV)
In and out of the prison, he had grown accustomed to seeking medical treatment for his high blood pressure. As an illegal alien, his life was spent stealing cars or committing other crimes to support his financial needs. It wasn’t only him who knew how to seek a medical treatment by faking their symptoms, but medical staff knew if their complaints were not valid.
“Give his chart to me,” I requested to the other nurse who was taking a phone call from the same unit where she was already expecting one inmate to come down to the Clinic, complaining of his hip hurting after falling inside the cell.
“How about this other one,” I asked, “What was the complaint?”
“Rcubes, he told Custody…”
Then I heard the radio call, “Unit 8 sending down 2 to the Clinic…”as I was listening to the nurse.
“…that he was complaining of chest pain.”
Reviewing his chart, I noticed he was already seen the day before for a very high blood pressure. The Physician Assistant had already given him a pill to lower the blood pressure immediately and when the reading came down to a less dangerous level, he was sent back to his unit. But he didn’t know that the PA had also ordered new medications to be given starting that morning, with a pill that was not the same as what was given to him during that critical time.
"They said Unit 8," I told that other nurse waiting for the other sick inmate, "I wonder if they were "cellies" (housed together in one cell)?"
After checking in the computer, the same nurse tapped my shoulder and said, "You're right, Rcubes. They are staying together in one cell."
"Thanks. That means one complained, the other heard so either one or both of them are lying anyway.
“What’s up, Mr.N?” I started asking through the huge, heavy glass partition window, as the deputy was not around so I couldn’t let him in, into the Clinic.
“Ma’am, they haven’t given me this (he named a particular medication that was supposed to be given that morning) and you don’t understand, if I don’t get that, my chest hurts and I could feel it radiating to my left arm and also around here. Oh, and I don’t want any Nitro. That stuff makes me feel sick (which I already knew anyway because he refused the Nitro being offered by the PA that day),” he uttered as he started rubbing his mid-chest with circular motions.
“So, let me make this clear, Sir,” I probed, “To me, it doesn’t sound like you’re having chest pain. You wanted this specific medication and if you don’t get it, that’s when you will have chest pain.”
“You don’t understand,” he replied and his facial expression became uneasy.
“I didn’t say you’re lying. And yes, I did understand what you were telling me because I just repeated what you told me. You’re the one who didn’t answer me, Sir. It was only a “yes” or “no”.”
“Ahhh…,” he remained silent for a minute.
“Was it this one (I mentioned the name of the medication that he wanted as I showed him the envelope that morning with the lists of the medications he was supposed to be getting) that you wanted?”
“Ahhh…yes,”he finally answered.
“Sir, you are not patient. It was about to be given starting this morning. You are not giving the medical staff a chance to treat you in proper timing. You just got here yesterday and you’re demanding for so many things. Don’t you think the doctor knows what medications you will need already to keep your blood pressure under control?”
“You need to relax because you’re angry and that’s not helping your blood pressure anyway,” I explained.
He didn’t know what to say. He took the morning pills and a small cup of water I offered. Walking with the aid of a wooden cane, he said a soft “thank you” and motioned the deputy that he was ready to go back to his unit.
God’s grace has been available to anyone seeking healing. We are all sick because of sins. But some who have already known and tasted God’s grace, end up going back and forth sometimes, remaining contented to stay being just saved. After being forgiven, sometimes, the desire to move toward perfection, toward knowing more about God, and toward becoming a new creation end up getting stuck doing nothing for His glory.
