I witnessed raw emotions, gratitude, and compassion.  Recently, I was sitting at the registration desk and one of my regular patients and her daughter appeared.  They said, "We don't have an appointment but would like to speak to Gina, the nurse."  I called and told Gina she had someone who needed to see her out here.  It was an extremely busy day and she said she would be out in a few minutes.  At this time, the patient told me what had happened.  She has been coming here and getting infusions for 10 years.  While she is here, she likes to occupy her time by crocheting blankets.  On her last appointment, this patient had Gina as her nurse.  The patient proceeded to tell Gina about how she has been feeling.  She hasn't been feeling like herself in a long time (almost a year).  She said, "At times it felt like I was going crazy."  She knew something was wrong inside her but didn't know what.  She stated she had mentioned this to her doctor, but nothing was done.  The patient felt discouraged, but now she has Gina who took it upon herself to notify the doctor of what she was hearing from the patient.  The patient was ordered to see a neurologist and had an MRI done.  The test showed that she had a slow-growing brain tumor.  The patient stated, "It was the kind of brain tumor you want to have if you have to have a brain tumor."  She felt relieved that she finally had answers and that a treatment plan for her new diagnosis was in place.  At this time, Gina made it out to the reception area and was greeted by the patient and her daughter.  They have not seen each other or talked since her last appointment.  The patient told Gina the above story.  Everyone was crying (myself included) and hugging each other.  The patient kept saying, "Gina, you're the best nurse."  The patient came in today to give Gina a very special Christmas gift.  She found out what her favorite colors were and made her a huge beautiful blanket as a token of her appreciation for what she did.  More hugs and tears were to be shed.  Witnessing this firsthand was very emotional.  The compassion Gina gave and her dedication to her work showed.  The patient's story could have had a very different ending if it wasn’t for one nurse listening to her patients and taking action on their behalf.  Thank you for letting me share this amazing story.