People asked me as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up and I would always say 'a mommy'. I was given the diagnosis of endometriosis at a young age and constantly struggled with the anxiety if I would even be able to have children of my own. The time came, I got married and was ready to start trying to conceive. I planned to have surgery to remove my adhesions and start Clomid in February 2016. God had different plans, and I found out I was pregnant in January.
My pregnancy started with a bang, literally. I fell on ice in my driveway, but the baby was okay. My pregnancy continued to be bumpy. I had hyper-emesis. We had to see cardiology for a pre-existing congenital heart condition. At 22 weeks, I started with contractions and the drives to Hershey's Labor & Delivery started. I had to stop working after 22 weeks to keep my baby healthy and growing. This is when the fear of losing my baby became very real. I slept very little and worried very much. My husband made the 45-minute drive to the hospital 5 or 6 times. With each visit, I was treated with kindness, compassion, and given plenty of reassurance.
In late summer, I began to have erratic blood pressures and swelling. Because of my edema and discomfort, I opted for an elective induction. Katie walked into the room with a warm smile and calm composure. She was very thorough and explained things in a way my non-medical husband could understand. I was determined to deliver my baby without an epidural. Katie held my hand and said, 'if that's what you want I will do everything I possibly can to help you do that'. She stayed by my side the entire night.
My induction progressed way faster than expected and I ended up needing an epidural. Katie held my hand and told me how proud she was of me and that it was okay. The epidural did not give me any relief. Katie stayed by the bedside and was so humble and never once complained. My blood pressure began to rise and blood work showed pre-eclampsia. That sent this control freak ICU nurse over the edge. Once again Katie went above and beyond to reduce my anxiety. I was so afraid of having a stillborn. Katie turned up the volume on the monitor so that I could hear my baby's heartbeat and get the reassurance I needed.
Her lunch was cut short because my labor progressed so quickly. She reassured me that she was fine and wanted to be there for me and my husband. She never complained, always smiled, and did her job with such grace and beauty. Once we were home and able to semi-relax, my husband and I agreed that hands down Katie was one of the best nurses. We really believe that she deserves this DAISY Award.