My dearest friend of 40 years was recently an open heart surgery patient. Her stay was not without a few hiccups. At one point in her care, she noticed that her chest tube was leaking. One of us ventured out into the hallway and grabbed the first nurse we saw. Quite a few came running! It was all hands on deck, but this wonderful nurse whose name I didn't know at the time, was first in the door and on it, and any potential crisis was averted. What a relief!
A few days later, this same nurse was assigned to her care. I recognized her immediately as the one that rushed in and handled the chest tube situation: Vanessa.
Vanessa was amazing! She managed to make unpleasant things (like bowel movements and urination) hilarious. At one point she came in to check on her, we told her that she had left her some urine in the bathroom. She replied, "But, I didn't get you anything!" There were laughter and smiles every time she came in. It was a welcome respite from the needles and catheters that were ever present during my friend's stay. She was on duty when my friend was discharged and we were grateful to have her sense of humor to make the waiting process easier to deal with.
We send Vanessa our warmest gratitude.