Elaine Usimaki:
CLASS OF 1982
Cypress Creek High SchoolClass of 1982
Houston, TX
Elaine's Story
I am a nurse in Houston and am married to my best friend from high school!
Mike and I stayed best friends and married in Nov. 1992. He's the most wonderful man in the world, and I thank God for him every day.
A year later I went to nursing school to fulfill a dream. Prior to that I worked 8 years with CFISD as a paraprofessional in Special Ed.
Before THAT I worked 10 years at Bethesda/Good Samaritan Lutheran Home for the Developmentally Disabled as a residential aide (CNA wanna-be).
After I finished nursing school I took a job at Memorial-Hermann Spring Shadows Pines working with Alzheimer's and other dementia patients.
After 6 years I was wooed to be a Wellness Director for an ALF.
I listened to those residents as they talked about getting older, death, fears, etc.
I saw how many were repeatedly shipped out to the hospital for whatever reason, get tortured and come back with that empty look in their eyes.
After 4 years at the Assisted Living facility I decided to become a hospice nurse. I did this for several reasons:
1. Comfort and dignity for the pt. My job is symptom management.
No guessing how long they've got. Most of th...Expand for more
em defy the MD timeline imposed on them prior to hospice admission anyway.
2. My father was found dead by my mother when he was 56. I never saw "disease progression" or "decline" in him prior to his death,
and the thought that he maybe was not comfortable in his dying scares me.
The job is no picnic. At the end of the day I'm phsically and mentally beyond help.
But spiritually I have taken off! I get to see through the patient's eyes during the dying process.
I go to bed at night knowing I've played a part in keeping that patient comfortable until God says,
"stop". I form bonds with their family and friends that continue long after the patient is gone.
Mike and I have been living 6 blocks from my old house. We live in the Pines of Woodedge (off Perry).
I wanted to be close to my Mom, who still lives at the old house. No kids, unless you count the canine and feline children - LOL.
I am the world's greatest aunt, though! We talk about adopting, since he's adopted.
Adoption is rigorous and expensive, and I'm not sure when/if we'll adopt.
I'm on Facebook: Elaine Goodwin Usimaki
I welcome any and all Cy-Creekers to contact me! :o)
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