It is impossible for me to list all of the specific instances in which Kelly Hickey has truly helped my husband and me. I apologize for the cliche, but she has been his/our Telehealth "Guardian Angel". For the past few years, Kelly has been with us and never more than during the Coronavirus "shut down" at the VA facilities.
My husband of 51 years (we met in kindergarten) was exposed to Agent Orange while in Vietnam and Thailand. His primary duty was on the base perimeter in Thailand which is one of the recognized exposure areas. His medical issues are numerous. They include diabetes II, cardiac disease (angioplasty and stents), renal disease, non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis (NASH), portal hypertension, GAVE (causing stomach "bleeds"), enlarged spleen, a bout of pancreatitis (after taking the drug, Victoza), significant ascites and edema, neuropathy, hearing loss, and numerous skin lesions (some basal and squamous cell carcinomas). He lives with these disease processes every day. He takes approximately 30 pills and also insulin daily. He fights skirmish after skirmish in his battle against this invasive herbicide (now dioxin that has crept into his DNA) with me at his side and Kelly guiding us.
Kelly is with him every day. If any of his Telehealth vitals (Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, Blood Glucose, and Weight) are "off', we know Kelly will be calling to discuss the reasons. She will guide us through issues and send messages to his specialties as needed. If the equipment is not working she will make suggestions and/or guide me to contact the VA representative or the company directly. She will help assuage the angst that I feel and help me walk through new symptoms so that I know what needs to be done or not done. She educates me on so many things such as when medications peak (it is important to know that about Lasix!) and how much time should be between doses, etc.
Often we are in the car when I take a VA call and I try to capture the newest treatment plan. Even if I am home, sometimes I realize the notes taken are not always as clear as I intended. The Blue Button portal often ultimately provides this detail but there is a delay involved. One amazing thing she has done to help me feel confident that I have the correct directions, medication dose changes, etc., from his providers, is to type the new directions into the Telehealth hub! I can then take a photo, print it, and have written instructions for review. It takes her precious time but is so helpful in keeping everything accurate.
I am enclosing a prayer for Caregivers that I wrote a few years ago. I have just added a piece to it that acknowledges the VA providers like Kelly who care so much, know so much, and do so much. Kelly is able to see through the "suck it up" mentality of so many of our veterans and to assuage the feeling of helplessness that we caregivers experience as we walk beside our veterans toward their final battle.
When I think of the DAISY Award, I visualize a bouquet of daisies honoring this VA nurse who has reached the highest level of caring and empathic concern for my husband and me, his loving caregiver. Kelly is the perfect example of all that the DAISY Award represents. She represents a bright flower in what is often a bleak landscape filled with the physical pain and suffering of the veteran and the emotional turmoil of the caregiver.