After I was sexually assaulted, I wanted to stay home and not go anywhere at all. A few friends pushed me to go to the hospital, so I split the difference and went to Planned Parenthood the next day. At Planned Parenthood, I was directed to a hospital in DC, only to find that because of jurisdictional issues, I had to leave and go to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital instead. At Shady Grove, I waited in the waiting room from evening until nighttime, when I was told that the forensic nurse wouldn't be in until 7 am the next day. I went home, slept for four and a half hours, woke up, and forced myself to drive to the hospital. By that point, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I didn't want to be at the hospital anymore. I wondered if the examination would be even more exhausting and if I would leave feeling just as sad and hopeless as I did the night before. There had been times when I simply wanted to give up, leave the ER, and try to ignore everything that had happened. It turned out that Vania was my forensic nurse, and she was warm, and empathetic, and made my examination feel like a complete breeze. She was thorough and explained patiently everything that I needed to know. She showed me the medications I needed to take either orally or via injection, explained what they did, and explained possible side effects. She went through and explained all of the documents I needed to sign. She put me in contact with a victim's advocate and with the police. She was meticulous and professional in taking photographs of my body. She made me feel welcome, brought food over to me, and never once made me feel like I wasn't being cared for. I left feeling like I knew what I was doing, despite all of the medications I had to juggle taking over the next 28 days. I am so grateful to have had Vania as my forensic nurse. I believe that having the support of her and the other nurses at the Forensic Medical Unit helped me make sense of my sexual assault much more easily. A sexual assault is extremely lonely and disempowering. The last thing you want to feel is like a helpless being within a vast system you have no control of, right after you just felt helpless in a profound, life-changing way. Thanks to Vania's care, dedication, attentiveness, and professionalism, along with Montgomery County's policies around sexual assault, I felt much more empowered to deal with what happened to me.