ANSWER TO A COMMENT

DEAR webbt2001,

I'VE BEEN MEANING TO ANSWER YOUR COMMENT WRITTEN ON MARCH 31.  IF YOU, OR ANYONE WANTS TO E-MAIL ME, FEEL FREE TO DO SO, AT   CRYSTAL MOON 222@aol.com   THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING MY JOURNAL, AND I'M HAPPY IT HELPS YOU GET THROUGH EACH DAY.  LIKE SHARON OSBORN SAYS, 'OUR LIFE IS AN OPEN BOOK."  AND SO, IN HELPING MYSELF, TO EXPRESS MY INNER THOUGHTS, I AM HAPPY TO HELP YOU, AND WHOEVER READS THIS JOURNAL.  IT IS WONDERFUL THAT YOU ARE A NURSING STUDENT, AND HELPING THE CHILDREN.  WHILE WORKING AS A NURSE, ALL THOSE YEARS, I ALWAYS FOCUSED ON OTHERS.  YOU SEE SO MUCH IN HOSPITALS, I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC IS EVEN AWARE OF IT.  I MYSELF, AMONGST OTHER THINGS WORKED WITH AIDES PATIENTS FOR YEARS.  ACTUALLY, I TOOK CARE OF THE FIRST AIDES PATIENTS, BEFORE THE WORD "AIDES' WAS HEARD OF.  WE, AS NURSES SAW THESE TYPE OF PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL, BUT WEREN'T SURE WHAT THEY HAD. AND SUDDENLY YOU HEARD "AIDES."  I WORKED ON ONE OF THE FIRST AIDES UNITS IN NEW YORK CITY.  I WAS AN ASSISTANT HEAD URSE THERE. WE WERE CONSIDERED PIONEERS, BECAUSE NO BODY REALLY KNEW IF WE WOULD COME DOWN WITH "AIDES" OURSELVES , SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD.  BUT WE WERE NEVER AFRAID, AND NEVER EVEN GAVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT.  WHEN YOU ARE A NURSE, YOU NEVER EVEN THINK ABOUT CONTACTING WHAT THE PATIENTS HAVE.  THESE AIDES PATIENTS WE TOOK CARE OF WERE PROBABLY THE WORST THAT ANYONE HAS EVER SEEN.  THEY WERE THE STREET JUNKIES, HOMELESS, HEROIN ADDICTED, FROM THE "BOWELS OF THE EARTH."  THEY WEIGHED AROUND 90 LBS.  THEY WOULD THROW URINE AND SPIT AT US.  WE WOULD CLEAN THEM UP (INCONTINENCE).  AND ALL WOUND UP DYING, SOONER OR LATER.  THEY HAD NO FAMILIES. THEIR BODIES WOULD SIMPLY BE SENT OFF TO 'POTTER'S FIELD."  SO THAT WAS HOW LIFE WAS FOR ME , IN THE 1970'S AND 1980'S.  AND I PARTICULARLY REMEMBER ONE DAY, I FOUND ONE OF MY PREVIOUS PATIENTS SITTING ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF THE HEALTH FOOD STORE I WAS GOING INTO. I STOPPED LEANED DOWN, AND SPOKE WITH HIM.  I NOTICED THE DIRTY DRESSING ON HIS LEG. IT WAS THE ONE I HAD PUT ON HIM LAST, MANY DAYS AGO. IT HAD MY INITIALS. I ASKED HIM TO PLEASE WALK AROUND THE CORNER AND GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.  HIS WOUND NEEDED TO BE LOOKED AFTER.  I'M SURE IT MUST BE INFECTED AGAIN, IT WAS SOFILTHY.  AND SO, I BOUGHT HIM A DRINK, AND FOOD, AND HE HOPEFULLY DID WHAT I SAID. GOOD-NIGHT EVERYONE.  FRAN