It has been some time since my mom was in her room at the hospital. She passed away in June. I am a nurse and was not ready for my mother's passing. She had been doing well on Keytruda but apparently developed liver failure from the medication. She was admitted to the ICU. So much information came so fast and even as a nurse you are never ready to hear that your mother is dying. I was in denial.
She was then moved to the 6th floor and Nancy became her nurse. She sat with my father and helped him understand exactly what was going on and that her time here on earth was limited. She shared the same information with me, but I was still in denial. She gave him the understanding that I would need to lean on the next day.
She gave my mother the care she needed in a dignified way, the way my mom would have given someone else care. The cardiologist came to discuss my mother's condition with us and what they could do to help her cardiac status, however, she was so ill it may only have given her time to stay in a bed and not to have the quality of life she so dearly would have wanted. Nancy's time with my dad gave him the strength to discuss with me the decision to do comfort care only.
Nancy was there with us all the way. My dad was asking me to go home because I had been at the hospital the entire time she had been in. Nancy told me not to leave and told the rest of the family that more than likely that she would pass from this life that night. Nancy was right. We were able to spend our final moments with her because of Nancy's knowledge and understanding. Her words while she left this life were kind and gentle. She joined with us in prayer. She was so gracious and just continued to be supportive. Once she had confirmed she had passed, she let us take care of cleaning her up, at my request, before they took her away.
Nancy is an awesome nurse and she is a great asset to St. Anthony's! I'm sure she has blessed others during the hardest times of their lives and continues to do so. Thank you, Nancy.