Страна : Великобритания
Всему есть начало. Хотя работа моя далека от литературного творчества, но я всегда была неравнодушна к литературе. Прибыв в Англию, встретила активных людей литовской диаспоры.
И тут у меня возник вопрос: «А где начало? С чего началась литовская диаспора? Когда приехали первые литовские иммигранты? Как чувствовали себя соотечественники в чужом краю?»
Познакомилась и подружилась с женщиной приклонного возраста Геней Иванаускене, которая была привезена англичанами из немецкого лагеря на работу в Англию в 1947 году.
Она так интересно и восхитительно рассказывала про свою жизнь что мне пришла мысль написать об этом книгу.
Меня поддержал Английский фонд Фонд по наследию (The Heritage foundation) и я написала первую книгу о литовской эмиграции. Так в 2012 году появилась книга «Литовское общество в Средней Англии (West Midlands) после Второй мировой войны (1947 — 2012)» .
Время летит быстрее нас. Мои читатели начали спрашиваь меня: « А когда будет следующая книга?»
И вот я уже написала другую книгу, она отличается от первой. В данной книге, которую назвала «Сестричка дайте мне таблетку для смерти..» , рассказываю о том что лучше всего знаю и что пришлось пройти самой о своей профессии. Я работаю медсестрой.
И на подходе уже третья книга.
Вота так меня вдохновила мисис Гене Иванаускиене своим энтузиазмом, памятью и интерсными рассказами про свою жизнь что я решила писать книги с историями из жизни людей. Меня очаровала эта мысль рассказывать людям истории из жизни. Ведь эти истории могут кому то помочь, кому то скоротать досуг , а кого то и спасти.
Country : Great Britain (UK)
I was born in Riga, Latvia, to Lithuanian parents. I later moved to Klaipėda in Lithuania, before resettling in the UK, where I embarked on a geriatric-nursing career. I have written books on Lithuanians who moved to the UK and on my own journeys, both personal and professional.
I am a nurse and writer. I work in a nursing home. I like my work. I like to listen and write life stories of my patients, friends and my life stories.
Maybe reading my books will cause you to reminisce?
I like to listen to stories because I find new ideas for new projects. I am open to the network. Let’s communicate. I’m always waiting for you.
Отрывок из прозы «Nurse, give me a pill for Death «
My work as an agency nurse has provided me with a great deal of variety, both in terms of working environments and the types of patients I’ve worked with. I have worked in residential care homes, nursing homes, private residences and homes for those suffering severe disabilities. While most of my patients have been elderly, there have also been quite a few middle-aged and younger people, including those who have suffered serious accidents. Some have been long-term residents with whom I’ve had the opportunity to build deeper relationships. Others have been passing through, in need of a period of recovery before moving on elsewhere. Meanwhile, many of those I’ve cared for have passed away, leaving behind grieving relatives – as well as being missed by the nurses and other staff.
Among the most rewarding categories of patient to work with is those who arrive at a nursing home in poor shape and leave it looking and feeling much better. Sometimes they come from hospital for a period of rehabilitation following a downturn in their health or some traumatic incident such as a fractured hip. They stay for six weeks before moving somewhere else, whether that be another nursing home, a residential care home or sheltered accommodation.
The term “rehabilitation“ has different implications in different countries. In Lithuania, for example, rehabilitation often occurs in a sanatorium, which seems more like a hotel equipped with various spa treatments. There are massage and kineziotherapy (physiotherapy) treatments, often making use of the swimming pool. Patients perform exercises in water, take mineral and mud baths, relax in the jacuzzi and enjoy underwater massage. There are holistic therapies, such as aromatherapy and audiotherapy. Meanwhile, psychotheraphy is available for those who need it. The curative mud and mineral-water treatments depend on the deposits owned by the health resorts.
The range of spa services available in the Lithuanian system seeks to restore the patient’s physical strength and bring back the joy of life.
While such a range of services is not normally available in the UK system, there are many effective rehabilitation services provided. For example, the physiotherapists in nursing homes help the patients greatly. I really admire the work they do, performing little miracles in facilitating the recovery of people who seemed hopeless. People come with mobility issues that prevent them from doing everyday tasks such as getting out from bed. But after six weeks, they often find the problem is solved, and they are able to walk about unaided. Finally, they go home with little help!
I have also worked with people suffering from serious disabilities, often the result of traumatic injuries such as traffic accidents. The institutions where these people reside are also called nursing homes, but the patients are often quite young. Our job as nurses and care assistants was to make these unfortunate people more comfortable and to bring them a better quality of life.
While rehabilitation does not always allow such people to walk out of the nursing home, we are able to brighten their lives in various ways. And for those who would be ending their lives in such a nursing home, it is our job to ensure their final days and hours are as easy and comfortable as possible. This focus on quality of life is one of the things I like most about the UK’s health-care system.
I have also worked with people suffering from a range of chronic and debilitating diseases, which can affect both body and mind. Again, in addition to the purely clinical care, one of our chief responsibilities was to ensure an improved quality of life, wherever possible. Very often, a patient’s day can be brightened simply be engaging in an interesting conversation with those around them. Like many care assistants and nursing staff, I have enjoyed many interesting conversations with such patients. They have shared their views and life stories, also teaching me about British life and habits. In this way, the patients have also helped to enrich my own quality of life.
Working with such people brought me some valuable life lessons too, including the importance of a positive – or at least accepting – attitude to life. I admired the fact that almost everybody was happy with the hand that Fate had dealt them. They gladly spoke about the achievements of their lives, no matter how small. In many cases, it was obvious that their lives had not been so great, but their complaints were far and few between.
Among the most debilitating conditions to strike people in later life are Alzheimer’s disease and senile dementia. These conditions, which impair both memory and cognition, are very common throughout the world, and the UK is no exception. Aside from daily nursing care, such patients often need help with remembering things and remaining oriented, as well as dealing with the anxiety and panic that such conditions sometimes cause.
When I first started to work with patients suffering from Alzheimer’s and senile dementia, I found myself suffering from huge emotional stress. It was not only the pressure of the work itself, but also the troubling thoughts that such an environment can provoke. I began to wonder at the point of life if it must end with such a hopelessly painful disease.
I witnessed their suffering up close and became very sensitive to their situation, filled with sorrow for these people who had lost their self-esteem.
As I got to know these patients, I learned more about their lives and all that they had experienced and accomplished. I saw the photos of their youth, filled with life, loving, caring and happiness. And now I could see them after disease had taken its toll, changing them forever. It caused a terrible pain in my heart and a feeling of hopelessness in my soul.
I began to realize that if it were not for the concern and compassion we nurses were able to provide, the emptiness in their lives might never be filled.
There has been much debate about what factors shorten human lifespan. Among the conclusions is that the chief culprit is life-shortening bad habits. Yes, harmful habits are of great importance, and I have worked with many senior citizens who have suffered the consequences of irresponsible lifestyle choices.
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