Let's go with none of the above.
Every 5 weeks I have the pleasure (?) of heading over to the hospital and sitting on an IV all day to get medicine that fixes me up for the next 5 weeks. Over the years, I have come to know the nurses who have taken care of me so well, as well as the inpatient pharmacist, who often walks my meds up to the floor and spends a few minutes chatting with me.
The hospital system has opened a fancy new outpatient center, and so those like me who come in for infusions are now moving over to the new facility for our ongoing care. It's a bit further of a drive, so I'm not thrilled about that, but I think the most upsetting thing is that I will miss the lovely ladies who have taken such good care of me for several years.
I'm a big believer in showing my gratitude, so I thought about how to say thanks to them. Flowers? Nah, they die. I thought about ordering them lunch, since they're so busy and I'm sure they don't get a lot of time to grab something to eat. But then I thought why not make them something they can use?
So I made them some zippy pouches, just a little something for them, something they can use however they want, and something to remind them that what they do is important. Most of their patients come and go, and they never see them again, but for the regulars like me, we get to know each other just a little bit. And that makes saying goodbye hard.
I hope they like them. I hope that every time they use them they remember that their care, compassion, and attention to their patients does make a difference.