After visiting the ER seeking assistance with the issues, I was experiencing daily for some time I was diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer and placed in a care unit for further, testing, diagnoses, and procedures to start my treatment. As can be imagined this was an extremely traumatic, frightening, fearful, and depressing series of events to experience and try to sort out in the moment and days to follow. I was transferred to the pre-surgery unit to start my journey of fighting for my life to come.

Trying to immediately sort through many thoughts and emotions, paired with having no family in the area made those initial hours and days to come quite difficult to endure. Slipping into a poor place in my mind was all too easy to achieve and was very scary to face. Luckily, I was assigned an RN I didn't expect to encounter during this time. While the entire team was extremely valuable to me, and I was thankful to be surrounded by each of them one nurse stood out on her own. Fortune shined on me to be assigned Ms. Stephanie on my second night on the unit.

From the initial introduction to my point of discharge, she gave a unique mix of highly professional care having the ability to be highly informative, full of compassion, and as relatable as a friend I've known for 10 years all in one caretaker. She was as knowledgeable as a veteran RN who has impossibly seen every scenario that can be presented yet at the same time never overstepping her already advanced knowledge base I had a question or concern, she couldn't answer on her own she sought out the correct remedy to my inquiry. Never guessed at anything or left me in query or misunderstanding longer than it took her to find a solution.

Stephanie put everything in a fashion I could understand and feel confident about. Aside from the medical aspect of our interactions, she made me feel at ease in my room nightly. I found myself laughing, smiling, and forgetting the seriousness I am facing ahead, giving me those moments of relief, I so desperately needed at that time. It was amazing a bright, young, talented medical professional could connect with a 45-year-old man to relieve such a stressful situation. She took the time to talk regular life and experience with me. Never feeling rushed or not important enough to spend some downtime on made a difference in my life for that period in time. I am grateful to have had repeat shifts with Stephanie as I looked forward to being under her watch.

I knew I was in the best of hands when she was coming on shift. She genuinely cared to make my time more comfortable and tolerable. She was successful in every way an RN can and should be from a patient's perspective. Thank you, Ms. Stephanie, for being an outstanding nurse, you have touched my life and left a lasting impression on me. There is no doubt you have a long and highly successful career ahead of you. I admire your passion; it shows each day. You make a difference.