I am a male, 39yrs old. I was hospitalized after being sick with a respiratory illness in which a month's long treatment of several different antibiotics was unsuccessful in treating. I was terrified after waking up at 1am in my bed at home, to indescribable chest pain, my body convulsing, clenched and locked to where I couldn't walk or get a breath. After being admitted into the hospital, I was scared, not knowing why or how this was happening to me. I had a nodule in my lower right lung, along with pneumonia, which spread to my lung pleura. Initially the lung pleura fluid was small and only on the bottom of my right lung. After the first night, the fluid spread around my entire lung, collapsing the lung. The doctors and nurses were quick to respond to worsening symptoms, I was on a regime of 24/7 IV and oral antibiotics, about 5-7 different varieties initially. Doctors could not slow the swelling of fluid in my chest, I slept 1.5 hours a night, my family was scared with the uncertainty of the situation, me fearing most, the possibility of not being able to provide for my family. Things changed when I was assigned a nurse named Sarah Orapallo.

Sarah compassionately assessed me, making sure my pain was manageable, and explained in detail what I was experiencing, the treatment I was currently receiving, why I was receiving this wide range of antibiotics/antifungals, and how they would make me feel. She explained what the next steps might be to try to drain some of the fluid in my chest. I could not have a procedure done over the weekend due to absence of the proper physicians to install a chest tube. The following Monday, a holiday, pulmonologists came to my room, they explained that the volume of fluid in my chest has grown to the degree that warrants a manual chest tube procedure. If I were to have an xray guided tube, I would have to wait at least 24 more hours, and I felt like I was dying. All along, Sarah was checking on me around the clock, if I hit the call button, she was in my room within 30 seconds, keeping a watchful eye on my fevers. I initially denied strong pain medication when I could grit and bare the pain, but it grew to the point of extremely overwhelming. Sarah was sure to carefully watch my pain meds, asking for a dose adjustment when needed, she explained the reason the pain would become more uncontrollable is because I was waiting too long to treat again. Staying ahead of the pain, I understand the meaning of that statement now.

The doctors arrived to attempt a manual chest tube insertion; the procedure was to be done in my room. The first doctor assessed entry points with an ultrasound. The first doctor declined to do the procedure and referred to doctor 2, this would be high difficulty. The second doctor decided to go in through my back. I was completely depleted, only able to take very shallow breaths, shaking, severe chills, goosebumps, fever, just the touch of a hand was painful on my skin and I was scared. Sarah came into the room to check on me, I was now bent over on my tray table, shirtless, with a rag near by to bite down on, preparing for the procedure. The procedure was about to begin, Sarah motioned as if to leave the room, I quickly said "Are you leaving?" Sarah replied, "No, I'll stay until you're ok". Typing this now, I have tears in my eyes, I've never been so vulnerable or uncertain of my future, this small gesture meant the world to me. The doctor begins to puncture the skin, eventually pushing the tube in. Sarah the whole time, watching me, making sure I didn't go through this alone, I did not go through it alone. The chest tube was sutured and bandaged. I was not draining much at all over the next several hours. Sarah explained that the fluid can become thick, and medication will likely need to be pumped in to assist drainage.

The following day, doctors came to inject the TPA into my chest tube. While injecting, the pain was astronomical, a hornet's nest in my back and chest. I was expecting some discomfort, not this. Sarah kept me comfortable, I felt awful. I was only draining the TPA out, not much else. Unfortunately, after 2 days of TPA treatments, and 2 xrays, with little to no drainage, a CT scan showed the tube was not in my pleura, TPA was being injected into my back tissue and subcutaneously, this explained the excessive pain of the TPA. It's been a week with my lung crushed by fluid, around the clock antibiotics, the chest tube issues, but my hope was not crushed, I was actually dealing with this well because of the nurse I was lucky enough to have.

Sarah did her time, I had a new nurse now. I was to be transferred to HUP for surgery or x-ray-guided chest tubes. Unfortunately there was some kind of delay, I was not to eat or drink, (only sips of water) for almost 2 days, in preparation for transfer and a possible surgery. I come to find, Sarah was calling in to check on me, complaining that I needed to be transferred ASAP, also worrying about the no eat/drink order. I later had procedures, double chest tubes, and a decordication surgery at HUP. The nurses there were good, but I was spoiled by Sarah's compassionate nature and ability to truly make some feel like they were safe and cared for. Please, pretty please, award this person with your highest honor, the world must reward this type of behavior. She is a true angel on earth, carrying no ego, with a heart to do her job, but make you feel like she is a part of your family, taking care of you at home.