I experienced excruciating pain in my chest while exercising. My wife rushed me to Anderson ER. Thankfully I wasn’t having a heart attack, but a cath was scheduled for the next morning to determine the source of my pain. I had to stay overnight in the ER, which I was not thrilled about. I could foresee alarms going off all night, people in and out of my room, etc., and I was anxious about the upcoming procedure. However, the night nurse who was assigned to me happened to be an old military buddy of mine- Lyle Shehane.

Lyle and I go way back through special warfare (TACP/JTAC) training, deployments, and countless experiences in the US Air Force. I couldn’t believe he was here at Anderson and how fortunate I was to be his patient. We had the best time reminiscing and catching up on all that has happened since we last spoke. He took such good care of me and went the extra mile to be sure my wife and I were comfortable; he moved an extra stretcher into the room so my wife would have a place to sleep. During a time when my health seemed so uncertain, it was very calming for Lyle to be there beside me. He kept my mind off of the daunting procedure I was going to have, and he eased my mind through his confidence, knowledge, skill, and humor.

Anderson is fortunate to have Lyle on staff, not only for his tremendous abilities as a nurse but also for his ability to stay calm in any situation and lead from the front. The years he spent as a US Air Force TACP operator groomed him well, and it is evident to me that Anderson Hospital has greatly benefitted from the lessons he learned as a Special Warfare Airman.