I was transferred to the Med/Surg floor on an evening in March. Ms. Benetta Fleming, the charge nurse, came to my bedside and immediately greeted me with a warm smile. Little did I know that the same person would make a significant impact on my entire life. From the time that I came to the floor, Ms. Benetta consistently went out of her way to make sure that I received the best care and made sure I was comfortable. She would always end our conversations with, "Are you ok, is there anything I can assist with?" before walking out of the room.
On Wednesday it was confirmed that I would have surgery on my right breast the next day. My husband and I recently relocated from NY with our 2yr old and 5month old to Pearland, therefore, we do not have any relatives here. Even though my mom is in New York, I felt like I found my mom in Ms. Benetta and I never felt alone once, because of the way she treated me. When I was down, she knew exactly what to say to lift me up. If I rang for assistance, within seconds she was in my room to assist.
Ms. Benetta brought me sufficient supplies as needed and when I came out after showering, she would already fix my bed. She also made sure that I got plenty of rest by scheduling when she would return to my room. Her calmness and her words really gave me the strength to face the surgery and overall my condition during my stay at the hospital.
After I returned from the surgery, Ms. Benetta was very careful when it was time to change my dressing. After I showered every morning, she would give me pain meds 30 mins before changing the dressing, so I would not feel the pain. Other times when I was down emotionally and in pain, in addition to the meds, she helped me to focus on being positive and shared inspiring stories to uplift me. That helped me get through it all.
If Ms. Benetta was not my nurse I could have easily become depressed, but she was such a radiant light and really was my strength in time of need. She was not only caring while I was in the hospital but was also concerned about my care post discharged. She didn't make any promises but reassured me she would try to coordinate with the case manager to ensure that when I leave the hospital that I transitioned the best way possible by possibly getting a home health nurse for my wound to avoid the risk of infection.
I was discharged with home health for 2 weeks. Before I left the hospital, Ms. Benetta showed my husband how to change my dressing in case the nurse didn't come the next day. There are not many people in this world with a heart as big as Ms.Benetta's. I've never met anyone so inspiring, humble and cares about the well-being of others. I thank God for placing her as my nurse during my stay in ICU. I will never forget her.
I don't think Ms. Benetta realized how much of an impact she made in my life. I left the hospital learning a lot and she has opened my eyes to appreciate life even more. I hope to be a blessing to others as she has been to me and pay it forward one day. I can honestly say my experience would not have been the same without Ms. Benetta there.