Cindy Evans
April 2019
Cynthia
Evans
,
RN, BSN
University of Chicago Medicine
Chicago
,
IL
United States
There is a truck far off in the distance. It is weeks away from hitting you but there is no mistake, it is beans down on you. On the side of the truck are letters that say, "Radical Prostatectomy".
You have done the research, talked to doctors and you know that It will hit you and hit you hard. It will change your life, actually, save your life eventually, but the impact will change you in difficult, painful and embarrassing ways.
You tell only the people who absolutely need to know and you shrug the surgery off saying that "It's more like a toothache than anything else and recovery Is nearly 100%." That fib helps the people you love not to panic, which was your plan all along.
Your brave face holds up all the way through the day of surgery. Now you shuffle Into the Pre-Op and the sound of the truck's speeding engine morphs Into the whir of air ducts and technician's chatter. You hear: "Put this gown on" and the enormity of what Is about to occur hits you like a tidal wave. The truck Is here- the impact is imminent.
No more brave face. You cannot control the mix of panic and fear that overwhelm you until you hear a voice. The voice Is soft, kind and credible. Cindy says: "That's OK. Let it out. This can be overwhelming but don't worry, it is going to be ok. You are in the best place you could be." Her voice is devoid of judgment and filled with honesty and kindness and compassion. And then, as if by magic, you are able to regain control and a modicum of self-respect.
Of course, there was more. Cindy kept up a steady stream of conversation to distract my attention from the surgery and pretended to struggle to get the IV Into my arm so that she could distract me with some minor ache and apologize repeatedly for sticking me- again, designed to distract my attention.
Cindy also treated my wife like a family member and kept her fully Informed and occupied while my surgery continued.
All this said, that minute or so, while I put on my gown and broke down, is seared into my memory and was deeply impactful. Cindy may not even remember that moment but I do and will forever. Perhaps that is the beauty of being a really proficient and compassionate healthcare professional- you operate at a very high level without thinking.
So, I hope that I have told this story well enough for you to see why Cindy is a true DAISY Nurse. She had an enormous and permanent impact on me. Thank you, Cindy.
You have done the research, talked to doctors and you know that It will hit you and hit you hard. It will change your life, actually, save your life eventually, but the impact will change you in difficult, painful and embarrassing ways.
You tell only the people who absolutely need to know and you shrug the surgery off saying that "It's more like a toothache than anything else and recovery Is nearly 100%." That fib helps the people you love not to panic, which was your plan all along.
Your brave face holds up all the way through the day of surgery. Now you shuffle Into the Pre-Op and the sound of the truck's speeding engine morphs Into the whir of air ducts and technician's chatter. You hear: "Put this gown on" and the enormity of what Is about to occur hits you like a tidal wave. The truck Is here- the impact is imminent.
No more brave face. You cannot control the mix of panic and fear that overwhelm you until you hear a voice. The voice Is soft, kind and credible. Cindy says: "That's OK. Let it out. This can be overwhelming but don't worry, it is going to be ok. You are in the best place you could be." Her voice is devoid of judgment and filled with honesty and kindness and compassion. And then, as if by magic, you are able to regain control and a modicum of self-respect.
Of course, there was more. Cindy kept up a steady stream of conversation to distract my attention from the surgery and pretended to struggle to get the IV Into my arm so that she could distract me with some minor ache and apologize repeatedly for sticking me- again, designed to distract my attention.
Cindy also treated my wife like a family member and kept her fully Informed and occupied while my surgery continued.
All this said, that minute or so, while I put on my gown and broke down, is seared into my memory and was deeply impactful. Cindy may not even remember that moment but I do and will forever. Perhaps that is the beauty of being a really proficient and compassionate healthcare professional- you operate at a very high level without thinking.
So, I hope that I have told this story well enough for you to see why Cindy is a true DAISY Nurse. She had an enormous and permanent impact on me. Thank you, Cindy.