I was treated for DVT and severe back pain at the Martinez Outpatient Clinic. Once I was cleared to leave I called a couple of the clinics I take care of to inform the staff that I would be out for a while and I would not be around to handle their supply needs. When this was completed I headed home to recuperate for what ended up being a month and a half. Around 1730 that day I received a call from Mercy Batiza, an RN in the Hem-Onc Clinic in Martinez, asking me if I needed anything such as food or whatever. Not expecting this I was very surprised. I downplayed it and told her I would be alright. When in fact, I didn't have much food to make it through the weekend. Mercy insisted because she knew I didn't have any family living close by and said she would stop by my house and drop off some food. So after working all week Mercy stopped by on a Friday evening after hours and made the delivery. I even tried to repay her but she wouldn't hear of it. Since it was a Friday evening she could have been out and about enjoying her life and off-duty time. But she insisted on making sure that I would be alright and make it through the weekend. When she stopped by she told/ordered me to make sure and call her on Sunday and she would bring more food. I did call her Sunday and told her I had contacted an old girlfriend who is also an RN who was going to take care of me for a few days. I don't think she believed me because she kept saying "Are you sure somebody will be there?" I assured her yes there would be and thanked her again her for her help.
She is the most compassionate and caring Nurse I have ever dealt with. And I have to deal with Nurses on a daily basis doing my job. I have seen her deal with countless patients and they could not be in better hands with her in charge of their care. Numerous times I have seen her get teary-eyed when talking about some of her patients who have passed on. Not only did they touch her but she made their difficult times a lot more tolerable and happy. I thank her for going out of her way to help an old Veteran.