I have had Crohn's Disease since 1999. I have endured an arduous journey. I have been treated as a medical experiment long before there were successful treatments for Crohn's Disease. My hospitalizations are often emotionally draining as I have to advocate fiercely and "prove" my symptoms. This hospitalization was not much different.

I was gaslit and informed that my pain could not be treated with stronger medications because there are policies against it. My nurse was a quiet and consistent force. She advocated for me and relayed all my concerns to the providers. She never stopped asking them to reevaluate my pain management plans.

She found other ways to care for me and reduce my pain. She listened to my frustrations while I was near tears and validated my experience. She reminded me constantly that I knew my body and I knew what was best for me.

On the last day of my hospitalization, she went above and beyond. I had a minor colonoscopy, and she was there right before I left and immediately when I returned. She personally went to the hospital's pharmacy to grab my medications prior to discharge and even grabbed a plushie for my daughter so she wouldn't remember my absence in a negative light.

I felt seen and heard by her, and she was the epitome of the value our nurses provide when they are acknowledged and also cared for. They are there to mend the broken pieces that patients are left to deal with. They do it so tenderly and with the biggest of hearts.