I remember hearing the diagnosis, a miscarriage. I was defeated. I had to go into surgery. I am not an emotional person, but during this time, I cried. I cried up until I met Amanda. I remember being wheeled from One Day Surgery over to the Surgical Prep room. Having to say "see you later" to my support person was hard. I didn't want to let go. I was scared, and that doesn't happen to me easily or very often. I remember the pain I was feeling. The nerves I had. I remember wondering how I was going to get through this. What was it going to be like after surgery? Was I going to be in pain? Was I going to be sick? I had so many questions and it seemed like nobody was there to answer me or help me through it, until Amanda. She came over to my bed from behind the curtain that was separating me from the other patients. She assured me I was going to survive this awful time. From the moment I met her, to the time we said goodbye, she changed my life. Amanda took the time to hold my hand when nobody else would. She talked me through everything, even sharing some of her most personal experiences so that I would have someone to relate to. When it was time for me to go back to surgery, I wasn't scared, because of Amanda's genuine care.
When I got back, Amanda was still there. Waiting for me. I knew I was going to be well taken care of. She took the time to feed me ice chips when I couldn't myself. She made it a point to let me communicate with my support person over the phone when getting me up to my own room took a little longer than expected. She brought me warm blankets since the anesthesia made me feel like ice. Amanda even called my doctor on his personal cell phone to clarify some orders on my chart. Amanda couldn't get in touch with my floor nurse, and once she did, she made it a point to let them know that I needed to be transferred immediately, as I just wanted to be able to mourn and grieve with my support person during this horrible time. She made sure I had absolutely no pain and was comfortable before the transfer.
Amanda made me feel like I had someone who cared about my feelings, more than just the physical ones, but the emotional and mental ones too. When it was time to say goodbye to this sweet angel, I had to hug her. I felt a true human connection with her, a bond that I will hold with me for the rest of my life. Someone who was there for me during the worst time of my life. She was more than a nurse. She was a true angel. I will never forget her.