In a whirlwind of a day, after 5 months of excruciating pain and doctors telling me I was overreacting, I ended up seeing a different Banner doctor who ran tests and I ended up in the ER hours later being told it was a matter of life and death because of clots throughout my lungs. The fear and uncertainty of such an unknown situation were overwhelming. Additionally, with the state of the world amid COVID-19 concerns there was the added stress of not having family on hand to help me through the fear. There is nothing worse than feeling powerless except for feeling powerless and completely alone.
As the days continued to pass as I sat in the hospital, the desperateness of the unknown began to subside when Tucker became my nurse. He took the time to talk to me, to explain what tests were ordered, what goals we were trying to meet, what role the medicines played in meeting those goals and furthermore what role every single thing he did from measuring the pulse in my feet to listening to my lungs played in monitoring my wellness. His astute insight that I felt no control was met with his compassion to give me back some of the control so I would not feel so fearful.
I was lucky enough to have Tucker for 2 days of my 4 day stay. I can't tell you the difference in having such a considerate and kind nurse made in my stay. It truly changed the trajectory of my stay and even more importantly in my healing because I understood the importance of everything we were monitoring and could make sure after release from the hospital to maintain circulation and movement of my legs and breathing. I am so grateful for the time he took to empower me and in caring for me in a way that was more than body but also heart and soul.