Sonny Riddle

A Special Week

BY Sonny Riddle
G-V STAFF WRITER

Hats off to the “Ladies in White.”
Nurses are special people.
Perhaps you thought I was referring to cafeteria ladies as the “Ladies in White.” Now I agree, they are special people too, and they do a wonderful job. But today I’m focusing on nurses.
Oops, I almost forgot, there are plenty of male nurses also! Sorry guys!
Where would we be without these wonderful, caring individuals?! And where would our doctors be without them?!
These men and women sacrifice years of their lives to be trained to provide assistance to physicians and care for their patients. The training they receive is very intense, and to concentrate on that training takes many long hours, hours away from home and family.
Today’s nurse is dedicated…to helping, to healing, and to providing comfort to the patient, around the clock. Nurses don’t stop! They are relieved for awhile by another nurse, but they don’t stop. There’s always the next shift to pull, the next orders to take, the next patients for whom to provide care.
Nurses are underpaid, overworked, and greatly under-appreciated! They’re the first line of defense for physicians and generally, the first medical professional whom the patient encounters when seeking medical help and relief.
Nurses come in two flavors…LPNs and RNs. But you may ask about CNAs.
CNAs, or Certified Nursing Assistants, assist individuals with healthcare and provide bedside care. The CNA provides basic nursing procedures under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). CNAs provide much needed services to patients in whatever setting they work, be it hospital or nursing home.
An LPN usually works under the direction of a Registered Nurse or a physician and usually requires less training than an RN. But that doesn’t mean an LPN works less than an RN.
Both my mother and grandmother were LPNs, and they worked tirelessly until they physically could not work anymore. Both worked in South Boston until they moved to Danville, worked there, and then worked in South Boston again when we moved back in 1964.
My daughter is an RN at our local hospital, and all I can say is my mother and grandmother would both be so proud she pursued nursing as her life’s work! And believe me, her mother and I are proud of her too!
In fact, I don’t know of any family of a nurse who isn’t proud!
To all nurses everywhere, thank you for the care and concern you show, for the dedication you exhibit, and for the industriousness with which you perform your duties.
May 6-12 is National Nurses’ Week. Show your appreciation to these wonderful individuals who lift spirits and touch lives!
To nurses everywhere, thank you for all you do!

More Tragedy For Halifax County
I’m sure you have heard the old slogan, “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all!”
Well, it seems Halifax County falls right in there. The tornado that touched down in Virgilina last week caused thousands of dollars in damage to homes and property. One thing to be thankful for, though, no one was hurt or killed.
We were lucky in that respect.
Just look at the devastation in Suffolk and Colonial Heights. I’d say we got off rather lightly.
Now I know the good folks whose property suffered damage from the storm may not feel that way, but what we had could not compare with the destruction in the eastern part of the state.
I would rather we had no storm damage at all, but if we had to, thank the Lord, no lives were lost!
You can rebuild and repair houses, replant trees, and reseed lawns…but you can’t bring back someone when the good Lord takes them.
And in that respect, our friends and neighbors in Virgilina were lucky…darn lucky!

Mothers Day
This Sunday is Mothers Day.
To all the mothers, I hope you have a wonderful day.
To all those who still have your mother, make sure you take the time to tell her how much you love her and what she has meant to you throughout your life.
Remember, a mother is a blessing sent from God. Cherish her!