Friday, February 27, 2009

Could Someone Please Tell Me Why...

In case folks out there don't know, I work for the VA. Yesterday I got a call on the voicemail at work that shook me up. A patient called thanking us for all we had done and asked that we cancel all his appointments and medications. No other message, just that. It scared me, so I had our nurse call him. While she had him on the line, she had me call the police to do a wellness check. When the patient hung up with her (she tried to keep him on the line), our Suicide Hotline tried to contact him and had the local PD do a wellfare check. When the police arrived, they found him dead from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Sometimes you can't do enough...

I can't give out this person's name because of HIPPA, but if you could keep his wife and kids in your prayers I would appreciate it.

May the angels lead you to paradise,
And may the martyrs receive you on arrival
And lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem.
May the choir of angels receive youAnd may you, with Lazarus,
who was once poor, have eternal rest.
*from In Paradisum .

5 comments:

Lauralew said...

Oh, man. There are no words. I'm so sorry for all involved--you all did the absolute right thing.

On the way home from work this morning I was listening to Parker Palmer on a podcast talk about why he can understand why people kill themselves--"They need the rest." Poor man. May his soul find rest.

Kirkepiscatoid said...

What Lauralew said.

He was set on doing. Period. Even if you'd have stopped him on that day, it doesn't mean he wouldn't try again tomorrow.

People that set on killing themselves become so overwhelmed in the task of "preparing to do it" they simply have blinders to anything else. Their resolve is too strong.

May he find rest. May you find peace. You did as much right as you knew how to do.

James said...

Blessings on you for what you did for him. And prayers for you as you deal with this.

James said...

PS. I'm going to list him and his family on the TTLS prayers of the people. I'm going to call him John after the beloved disciple because Jesus loved this man, too.

Rev. Raggsdale said...

Thanks everyone. I'm having a hard time with this and I just needed to vent it.