During my hospital stay, many talented and dedicated professionals cared for me. However, there is one individual whose display of kindness and concern is extraordinary. Megan, the night shift nurse during my stay is a truly remarkable individual. She expertly cared for my physical well-being. However, what makes her so special is her natural, God-given, ability to treat the whole person, physically and emotionally. I will include just a few examples of the many things she did which were above and beyond anything I would have expected.
When I arrived in my room in the early morning hours Saturday, I was feeling extreme stress and emotionally spent. My 92-year-old father has been critically ill for months. I was scheduled to travel to South Carolina on Sunday to get him out of Skilled Nursing Care, return him home, and arrange for all the ongoing care he would need. Being admitted to the hospital meant I would not be able to meet that commitment. I was overwhelmed. When checking my vitals, it was noted my blood pressure was higher than normal. I suppose the expected response would be to call the doctor and request more blood pressure medication. Megan took the whole person approach. She inquired about me, and my state of mind. Her probing allowed me to share my circumstance and internal conflict. She took the time to listen and to empathize. She shared some of her own experiences and coping techniques she uses personally. She even recommended a book, Boundaries, which I am now reading. Megan's ability to get me focused on the things I could control and to leave those things I could not control to faith was exactly the medicine I needed at that moment since my emotional pain was far worse than my physical pain.
Sunday night, after the ERCP, I was unable to sleep. In her rounds to check on me, she noted my inability to sleep and inquired about it. In passing, I mentioned, "if I were home, I would work a crossword puzzle. They always clear my mind and make me sleepy". On her next round, Megan handed me a crossword puzzle. She had gone on the internet, found a crossword puzzle, and printed it out for me. That simple act exemplified a heart filled with caring. Many people may not give her act much thought. I considered it one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me.
When I awoke in recovery after the Cholecystectomy, I was experiencing significant abdominal pain. When I was taken back to my room, the pain remained. When Megan became aware of the pain, she assessed my situation and determined I was most likely feeling gas pains. She acted, such as appropriate liquids and hot compresses, to reduce the discomfort to the point I could get up and walk. She then walked the halls with me until the pain was mitigated. Once again, rather than taking the simple route of pain medication, she took the time to identify and treat the root cause.
I could go on with other examples, but this is already starting to read like a tome. So, let me close by saying, I met an angel disguised as a night shift nurse at Advent Hospital. She will be in my prayers going forward.