Nadine is my safe place. My answerer of ridiculous medical questions. My strength when I have none left. My most trusted medical team member. My support when I am in the ER alone with my daughter. My voice when I feel I am not being heard or understood. The list of all the things Nadine is to me could go on infinitely. I have only survived our daughter's medical issues because Nadine was there every step of the way.
I first met Nadine when O was 9 weeks old and we rushed her to the ER. We were in the PICU and after hearing the shocking news that our daughter needed emergency brain surgery, Nadine was there to answer all our questions, console our worries and comfort us in any way possible. And she has continued to do all these things four years later.
When O had her second brain surgery at 2 years old, Nadine held me as I sobbed in the clinic after Dr. J gave us the news. I asked Nadine to be the one to take her back to surgery because O loves her, and I wanted O to be happy and comfortable. Knowing that Nadine was with her was the only thing that gave me any peace.
However, this was a very selfish request on my part. Nadine took time away from her family to be there for ours. She was with us every step of the way during O's surgery and even stayed in the OR With her. Nadine never even hesitated when I asked. She didn't tell me that's not part of her duties or that she would have to make special arrangements for her daughters since she had to be at the hospital so early for O's surgery or that this was the first time she's ever seen a shunt placement. She simply said, "Of course!"
As I sat in the ER holding O in my arms, watching the life slip away from her, sobbing, pleading for her to be okay; the first thing I did was email Nadine. That might sound odd to you unless you have a child with hydrocephalus, but I knew that Nadine would ask the right questions and believe my answers. The ER doctors and nurses were great. Seriously. But unless you know O it was very easy to think that she was just tired, and I was panicking.
Within five minutes of sending that email, Nadine was there in the ER with me. I had only asked if Dr. J was on call and that we were in the ER. I did not ask her to stop what she was doing and be with me, but she did. And when she walked through the door, for the first time I felt hopeful that O would be okay. Nadine knew the moment she saw O that my worst fear was true. O needed another brain surgery and soon.
Nadine comforted me and guided me in the process of what happens next. She held O so I could call my husband and tell him to get to the ER ASAP. Nadine is family to me. I wouldn't have let anyone else hold O. She has been through our darkest times and understands more about O's conditions than any of our other family. She listens and genuinely cares. She tells me in the gentlest way what's going to happen even when I don't want to believe it.
Nadine is the absolute best. Like seriously. We love her so much.