My grandmother has been a patient of SLMC GC since it opened and has been admitted and referred to countless units and departments over the years. At 91 years of age, one can only imagine the types and number of procedures she has undergone, from radiation therapy to dialysis to pacemaker installation, and everything in between. Through all of those experiences, many nurses have taken care of her, and a handful stand out for their exemplary care, and first among them is Miles.
L started dialysis sessions in November 2016. This was a course of treatment she was not looking forward to but was left with very little choice at that point. For our family, this was also a new thing, unknown to any of us, and daunting for all the stories we had heard from other people. And so it was with great trepidation that we embarked on the dialysis path. At L's first-ever session, it was Miles who was in charge of the procedure. There we were, an entire clan watching the session like hawks from start to finish. Through it all, it was clear that Miles was competent, astute, and sharp. More importantly, she was compassionate, comforting, and reassuring, making the experience easier for all of us, and most of all, L. After that first session, we all realized that dialysis was not as horrifying as we all thought, and a lot of that had to do with Miles being in charge. So comfortable was L after the first time, that she requested that as much as possible, Miles should attend to her each session. If you ask any of the nursing staff in any unit L has ever been confined in, this was an amazing vote of confidence.
Soon, L became very comfortable going to dialysis and truly enjoyed the time she spent bantering with Miles and the other nurses in the renal center. They became her friends whom she knew by name and by other personal details, something quite rare for her. Of them all, she developed a special attachment to Miles.
One day, a cardiac-related incident caused L to lose consciousness for about 5-10 minutes during dialysis, the first kink we ever had with the treatment. It was a traumatic experience for all the family and one that landed L in the Coronary Care Unit for 6 weeks. The doctors told us that she was near death and that goodbyes should be said. Slowly, however, she began to recover, a recovery doctors attribute not medicine but to the grace of God and the love of those around her.
During this recovery, several times a week, after her shift in the renal unit, Miles, on her own personal time, would visit L in CCU to check on her, keep her company, and spend quiet time holding her hand and on occasion, singing to her. How L enjoyed that! She would tell L stories and they would talk about anything that entertained or cheered up L. For our family, we knew that this was beyond the call of duty for Miles. She didn't need to visit or spend the time that she did after work hours. I'm sure she had other important things to do as well. The time and compassion and care that she gave L was something we greatly appreciate, and we count it as one of the key contributors to L's recovery.
We are now over a year since that major confinement. L continues to go to out-patient dialysis three times a week. We are most confident when Miles is in charge, as she has proven great skill at troubleshooting when things go wrong. She has a complete presence of mind and acts quickly when problems such as clotting, or blood pressure fluctuations come up. At one point, L's access began to malfunction, something we could not afford at that time because transferring it was not an option then. And of course dialysis had to happen or we would be in trouble. Miles, through patience and skill, was able to manipulate the tubing, L's positioning, and other factors so that the access would work. She was the only one who was able to do this. It was clear that she was under a lot of pressure to make this work, but she rose to the challenge, unflustered, cool, and calm, and was successful at the task. For that, we are eternally grateful.
L, in her old age and after having suffered a few minor strokes, is no longer expected to remember names and faces of people she has not known for very long. No one holds it against her if it takes more than a few seconds to remember names. But the names of the renal nurses come naturally and quickly to her, Miles in particular. There probably is no better sign of the impact a nurse has made on an aging patient than that.