Adrienne was one of several nurses caring for my daughter. Her ability to calm and reassure my daughter was exceptional. Adrienne showed extreme patience and kindness and was able to calm my daughter down on several occasions. She was able to comfort her with her anxiety-reducing skills. Adrienne's friendliness made my daughter very comfortable and better able to articulate her fears and feelings. Adrienne was able to explain the medications as well as the side effects. My daughter was always happier after talking to Adrienne. She even asked me to leave half an hour early so Adrienne could help her with her shower. For her to let me go shows the extraordinary level of trust and comfort she felt with Adrienne. Thank you, Adrienne, for the fantastic care you provided for my sweet daughter!
*****
Getting admitted to a psychiatric hospital is not one of my greatest moment but I am lucky to have met an amazing nurse who made me realize that in spite of my bipolar illness, I can be somebody and that my illness does not make me who I am. Adrienne treated me with respect since the day I was admitted. I was yelling and cursing at staff to leave me alone. I did not trust anyone including my parents but Adrienne kept showing up at my room, stating she just wanted to make sure that I was safe. Sometimes Adrienne would just sit quietly next to me to prove that she just wanted to help. My mom also told me that because of my paranoia, I did not shower for days. My hair was so knotted in different places that I know my mom would not even have the patience to remove them herself. I think Adrienne worked on my hair for almost two hours that day. I told her to just cut them off but she insisted on removing the knots herself. I remember cursing at her and alleging that she was paid good money to work on my hair but at the same time, her hands on my head felt relaxing but I did not tell her. I later found out that she had bought my favorite shampoo and conditioner- all along thinking that my mom had brought those.
After a couple of weeks, I started to feel more in control of myself but still hated the fact that I was in the hospital. Adrienne started taking me on trips to the gift shop and sometimes, we would go to the cafeteria and order pizza and pretend we were in an actual restaurant enjoying each other's company. During these trips, Adrienne and I talked about my goals in life especially finishing college. She told me about famous people such as Mozart and Beethoven who had bipolar and many more celebrities and high profile individuals who were successful in life. She encouraged me to go back to school, move forward from this experience, and accept that I have to be on this journey with recovery for as long as I want it to be. Adrienne taught me not to run from my illness- just like when she did not turn away from me when I was violently cursing her. She told me to be a fighter, face the challenges of college years, and as a young adult with bipolar disorder. Adrienne made me feel that I am not worthless and I truly believe that she saved me.