Angeline Brown-Wilson
April 2021
Angeline
Wilson
,
RN
PACU
Maine Medical Center
Portland
,
ME
United States

 

 

 

The big things are critical but the little things make you feel like you’re being cared for as a family member would care for you.
Angeline is a nurse who works in PACU. I had surgery on Tuesday so started my day in the PACU. Due to surgery prep, I had a pretty bad headache when I arrived which quickly turned into a migraine which then turned into nauseous and vomiting. With no family there to comfort me, nurse Angel stepped in and was with me every step of the way. She is kind and gentle but has a quick wit and gave me that ‘I’ve got everything under control’ feeling that made me completely comfortable in her care. Before going into the operating room when the migraine was at its peak, she brought cold compresses and put them on my head and neck. She told everyone who came in the room what was happening so I didn’t have to repeat myself (it's hard to talk much when you have a migraine) and kept things as quiet as possible. Even though the anesthesiologist gave me IV meds for the migraine, when I woke up in PACU recovery, the migraine persisted. Angel took the time to ask me what I would do at home if this was happening and proceeded to advocate for what might help. She called the café to get me a diet coke (caffeine!), she called the pharmacy to get me the OTC medicine I usually take for migraines, and stayed past her shift to make sure I had everything I needed. When the pharmacy wasn’t able to give me the meds I usually take, they suggested another kind of med and Angel tracked down a doctor to see if they would prescribe it, which they did. And when the café couldn’t send down a diet coke, another nurse, stepped in and somehow magically made a diet coke appear. These things may not sound like much but to me it was everything. The big things are critical but the little things make you feel like you’re being cared for as a family member would care for you. I’m quite sure I’m not remembering everything that happened that day, but I will always remember Angel for her kind and caring expertise and for going way above and beyond to take care of me.