Olga is professional, knowledgeable, kind and compassionate. That is how I would describe our bedside nurse, Olga.
A few years ago, I spent time in an ICU at my daughter's bedside trying to decide if I should agree to discontinue the ventilator that was barely keeping her alive. Sadly, an untimely and unexpected situation led to the click of a button, the silence of a machine and the end of a life. My daughter was gone.
When people asked what they could do for me, I said "give someone a hug."
Recently, at Crouse's ICU, I found myself at my husband's bedside filled with stress, fear and worry. Day and night the nurses would tend to his needs and keep me posted on his progress. As the hours passed, I felt myself reliving the past and wondering about the future. I felt I was weakening under the weight of our life challenges and then…..there it was…..The Hug.
That meant more to me that I can put into words. But, then, if you have a hug, who needs words? There are some things you never forget and this is one for me. So simple yet priceless.