I checked in the ER thinking I had a severe case of GERD and came out two days later from the Cardiovascular Institute with a stent in my left main coronary artery. I am an active 47-year-old and as far as I knew, in good physical condition. No one was more surprised than me when I first heard the news. Needless to say I was in shock and partially in denial at this point.
Dawn came into my room with an infectious smile the first morning before the stress test when my anxiety level was at a high point. She immediately started in with her sarcastic humor, which was a perfect fit with mine. Thus, we hit it off right away. She was able to quickly take my mind off of worrying about the future at that point and just focused me on the now. She made me feel comfortable and at home in a hospital room, which cannot be easy to do. She also made my family feel comfortable there too. She would constantly be checking on me to see how I was doing and did so with my family too. She also took the initiative on her own to remove any road blocks she saw that would prevent me from being discharged as soon as possible.
To me, Dawn embodies the type of nurse that I can only hope my daughter will become someday. She was knowledgeable and calm at all times, with a continuous smile on her face the entire time she bossed me around (sarcastic humor). That is what I really needed at that point in time and she delivered. Thank you Dawn for giving me the best care when I needed it the most.