I guess I never truly understood the importance of our jobs as nurses or how great Blessing truly is until my stay at Blessing back in April during and after the delivery of my second baby. I was in Labor and Delivery 2 days the week prior to the birth of my daughter for pre-term labor.
I am typically always anemic, but with undergoing a C-section I lost enough blood to end up requiring a blood transfusion. Dr. F was on call that weekend and had discussed the risks and benefits of receiving blood with me. We equally agreed that it was the right decision. The nurse in me said it's not a big deal, I give blood all the time. That day was my first day with Ashley Huber as my nurse. We joked about me being a problem child. My husband ended up knowing her dad and they seemed to bond as well, Ashley started my blood after double checking it with another nurse and taking my vital signs (she followed protocol to a T, trust me I know!) I was eating breakfast and suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I went to bed without a thought about it. Ashley had probably left the room for maybe ten minutes. In that ten minutes, I started to chill so bad that after my husband said there aren't any more blankets in the room and I couldn't control the chatter in my teeth I said: "call Ashley now". I barely remember Ashley coming to my bedside. I remember saying "blood". I'm pretty sure I passed out after that. I ended up having a febrile anaphylactic reaction to an antibody in the donor's blood, my oxygen level tanked and my heart was racing. I just remember trying to focus on my breathing as it was becoming harder and harder. A swarm of people came to my bedside as a result of a rapid response. I finally thought to myself, either I am going to end up intubated or dead. I remember every time I tried to open my eyes, Ashley was right by my side holding my hand and talking me through it. I saw my husband, newborn baby girl and my mom standing on the other side of the room. I thought that may be the last time I ever saw them. Just when I thought I couldn't hold on any longer, my chills subsided which allowed me to be able to breathe a little easier. I had Ashley the following two days and I joked with her about being surprised she didn't switch patient assignments because I was a problem child. She said, "nope, I'm seeing you through!"
This was by far the scariest moment of my life. I now understand the impact we as nurses can have on our patients. I will never forget Ashley and how she held my hand in what I thought could have been my last moments. She truly made an impact on my life.