July 2017
Gail
Perkins
,
RN
Cardiac Medical Intensive Care Unit
Mercy Medical Center - Des Moines
Des Moines
,
IA
United States

 

 

 

I was very unexpectedly hospitalized after a simple stent procedure for a UTI became a full-blown case of Septic shock, complete organ failure, and DIC. My prognosis was very poor. I was unconscious for 10 days on a ventilator and on dialysis machine multiple times a day. When I awoke in CCU, Gail was there. She sat on my bed next to me, held my hand and explained my critical situation to me in a way that I would not freak out and told me she was there to help me get better. She also shared that she had recently had a dream that God told her she was going to be taking care of a very sick patient soon and He would help us through. That patient was me. With Gail's care (and the other nurses and PCTs in CCU), I began to make a remarkable turnaround. After five more days of care in the CCU, I was ready to be moved to 9 South to be taken care of by more awesome nursing/PCT staff. My road to recovery was not easy and resulted in the loss of parts of my toes and finger. I was in the hospital for a total of a month, and Gail tried to visit me as often as possible when she was getting off shift to check on me. I was her miracle girl. But, she was my guardian angel and she will forever be with me reminding me how far I've come.