Words are so lost to me when I think of all that Michael did to care for me when I was admitted to the oncology unit. Quoting the doctor- so I could “just survive” a very aggressive, acute multiple myeloma in December- January 2022. It was questionable that I would live more than a few days. I was so far gone in pain and I did not know what was going on. The pain was beyond my ability to cope. My screams were loud and primal, and set the nursing staff running en masse. They all tried to care for me, to bring be back, but it was only noise to me. I could not communicate with them. I wanted to die.

Michael was the one who reached me; he could tell nothing was working. Michael brought his phone to my ear, selecting music that connected with my basic senses. His face close to mine, this music alone was able to connect to my brain and bring me down from screaming in order to treat me. This one act is probably the most important “treatment” of my one-month stay. At this point, I still did not understand why I was in the hospital, what was really wrong with me, what was my disease that put me in the hospital so sick.

Michael took the time to research and share with me the basic information about my MM disease and the proposed treatments I could expect. That time and effort made it easier for me to move forward. The extra time Michael spent on things large and small throughout my staying, knowing he truly cared and was interested in me, makes the difference between a nurse doing their job, and a nurse doing a great job. That makes a significant difference in how I healed, how other patients can heal. Michael believed and cared so I could believe and care.