- please, I'm here to help
- you must be thirsty- drink this
- this will lessen your pain
- you had surgery yesterday, and now you are running a fever- you need to stay hydrated
- please try to drink
- the sooner you drink this, the sooner you'll feel better
- the nurse prepared this especially for you- will you try some?
- this is what the doctor recommended to speed your recovery
I murmur these lines, bring the cup to her lips, but each time she violently pushes my hand away, unwilling to take her medication or any water.
In her delirium she may not hear my words, or her dementia may not allow her to comprehend them. Does she recall how to drink from a cup? Is she completely disoriented and believes that I mean to harm her?
She has lived WWII and a communist revolution. She knows pain and suffering better than I. What right do I have to force her to drink?
The nurse took one look at the patient's poor skin turgor and dry mucous membranes, tipped the patient's head back and forced her to drink. In response, the patient promptly leaned over the bedrail and spat the fluid onto the floor.
