I have been a patient in the rehabilitation unit for about nine weeks. All the nurses in the unit were exceptional in their craft, compassionate and supportive through their advocacy of my treatments over the course of my recovery. However, one of the nurses who stood out above them all was Brianna. My family and I continually were encouraged, educated and guided when problem-solving was needed to work through the highs and lows I was experiencing. She helped my mom feel good about how she would manage my care once we all finally go home.
Brianna was a consummate professional in her craft and went beyond her call of duty. She would be bedside as long as needed during the difficulties of my recovery. Specifically, for many weeks when I was vomiting and worked myself up with sweat and practically tears, laying in a bed of vomit, she would not hesitate to help me in the shower. No concern about getting wet or messy or needing a change of scrubs. Her concern was my dignity! She gave me at least three showers in these instances and showed me her compassion for me as a 16-year-old boy. I really appreciated that of her.
Another time that meant a lot to my mom was when Brianna helped her troubleshoot my feed schedule, volume, and delivery with the pump while on-the-go. All the nurses had been having a terrible time with giving my feeds as I was being fed blenderized and Nourish formulas. They were using the syringes and having lots of trouble with the tube clogging and feeds getting all over me and my bedding. That particular night, the issue was that the volume the doctors prescribed was too large for my stomach and I wasn't tolerating it. I vomited twice and was concerned, thinking, "Here we go, I'm getting sick all over again!!" My mom and Brianna were up at 3:00 am figuring out how to make things work better. From reducing the volume per bolus, changing the times to fit our schedules when we return home, and the use of the blender as well as heating the formulas to utilize the pump. Also, they discussed how my mom could practice using the pump "on-the-go" in therapies as a way to prepare for home use. I think we will be better prepared because of Brianna's insight, problem-solving skills and her compassion to help us with real-life transitions from hospital to home.
The next thing was her advocacy in the critical time of my recovery. I had just completed a sleep study to determine whether I could be decannulated. The test result was positive, but the doctors were hesitant about moving forward due to the high number of times that I had to orally suction throughout the night. Brianna had been my nurse many times during my stay and she had gotten to know me as a patient. She suggested to the doctors that my oral suction had related to muscle memory. She spoke to the pulmonary doctors on my behalf. She came up with a plan that I agreed with. It was to take my Yankauer away from 8:00 pm until 7:00 am, and I could only use it if I used my call light and got the attention of my nurse or mom in these hours. The thought was that maybe I would improve my suctioning by possibly half. Much to everyone's amazement, the reduction was closer to a 90 percent improvement. This has been practiced since the agreement was made and strides continue to be made. My family and I believe the result provided additional data that led to convincing the doctors to authorize the decannulation. We cannot explain it any other way. We were happy and pleasantly surprised that I was able to be decannulated. This changes my ability to go home sooner, and it dramatically improves my quality of life.
I very much appreciate Brianna for being a wonderful and compassionate nurse, my advocate and a supportive cheerleader of me, as well as my parents, throughout this important time in my recovery.