When I first met Joe I had just gotten out of pelvic reconstruction surgery. I was in extreme amounts of pain. I was immobile. I could not even roll onto my side without assistance. Every time I wanted to move it would usually take two or three nurses to slide me around on sheets. Every move at first would cause me to hyperventilate because of the fear and pain. Joe helped me with breathing techniques that would help me relax. Joe is from Hawaii. He would tell me to pretend I was on a sandy beach, lying near the ocean. Every time a wave comes in he told me to take a deep breath and every time a wave went out, he told me to exhale. It was from this Hawaiian beach that Joe helped me to heal my mind. Anytime I got scared or the pain was too much, I would go to that Hawaiian beach that Joe described to me vividly.

Calming my mind was the first step to getting my body to heal. Joe taught me that laughter is the best medicine. Joe's sense of humor made even my darkest day bright. When I was constipated for many days in a row after surgery, Joe reminded me that "this shall pass". Joe always knew the perfect thing to say. As a big guy myself I felt very comfortable with Joe as my nurse. Joe is a big guy and I always felt very confident in his care.

A lot of my care, especially early on, was very hands on and labor intensive. Joe was always able to effortlessly transport me, while keeping my pain at a minimum. Joe became a great friend and I missed him when I was discharged.