I went to the Emergency Room for a severe stomach ache. Little did I know all the complications I would soon face. What I thought was only a stomach ache turned out to be severe pancreatitis. As a result, I was admitted to the ICU, intubated, and put on a ventilator. I developed pneumonia, blood clots in my legs, a half-collapsed lung, and a fever of 106�F. I spent approximately 8-9 days in the ICU and I maintained the fever the entire time. While in the ICU, I was only given Tylenol for my fever and was kept on a miserable cooling bed.
After 8-9 days, I was transferred to the 5th floor. My first night on the 5th floor was miserable. My fever persisted and I just sweated and shivered all night. But, when Nurse Victoria came on shift, she became concerned with my vitals. She raised her concerns with the doctor, and soon after that she came back and put me on an IV of antibiotics. A few hours later my fever had broken.
During the rest of my stay, Nurse Victoria continued to go to lengths to make me as comfortable as she possibly could. She allowed my wife to assist me in and out of the bed and to the shower so I did not have to wait for long lengths of time for an aide to be available to assist me. She made me feel like more than just a patient, but as an equal human being. Before this experience, I had never experienced complications or a lengthy hospital stay like this.
During this time, I grew tired of being in the hospital. I feel as if I had developed cabin fever from being confined for so long and I was missing my pets and family; just overall homesick. So, one morning I decided I was leaving; I had it in my mind that I would be more comfortable at home. My wife could care for me there and I was leaving no matter what anyone said. I suffer from Bipolar 1 Disorder and schizophrenia, so I can become very stubborn.
It just so happened that the morning I decided this Nurse Victoria had just come on shift. I told her that I was leaving and no one was going to stop me. I was very agitated, but she remained calm and told me she would not try to stop me but to just let her advise the doctor. Minutes later, she returned with the doctors.
The doctors began to tell me that it was not advised for me to leave and I had to sign a waiver. I didn't care; I just wanted to leave and agreed to the waiver. The doctors left and Victoria returned with the waiver. But, instead of her just having me sign the waiver, she began to explain to me the seriousness of my condition. She told me of blood clots in the back of my legs that I was unaware of. I was probably too sedated when I was originally advised of them. Even though I was agitated, she remained calm and continued with attempts to calm me and explain to me that if I were to just leave then I would probably return in worse condition and have a more lengthy stay. Somehow, she eventually calmed me and convinced me to stay. But she did not stop there.
Throughout her shift, Nurse Victoria continued to return to check on me, talk with me, and address my concerns. At one point when she didn't have an answer she left the room to consult my doctors and do research online so she could give the answers I wanted. She even came back to check on me once her shift was over and it was time for her to leave just to make sure that I understood that I needed to just stick it out a short while longer and assured me if I just did as I should then I would soon be home to recover. Two days later, I was discharged.