Shelby West
February 2024
Shelby
West
,
MSN, RN
3 West
Mayo Clinic Arizona
Phoenix
,
AZ
United States
Shelby told us she wanted to try a few experiments and that she would consult with the doctors and be right back. A little while later, Shelby came back and asked my dad if he wanted to try lowering his oxygen. I was scared, but Shelby was confident and reassuring that she would be with us the entire time.
God performs miracles at Mayo Clinic, and Shelby is one of his angels. Shelby was a nurse for my dad almost one year ago in Feb 2023, when he was admitted for a Pulmonary Embolism. She stands out in my memory for her professionalism and her attention to detail in understanding my dad's condition and being so helpful in explaining details to us. This was a scary thing to go through, and Shelby was a comforting presence. I loved having her as a nurse and was grateful for the care she gave my dad as he recovered. I hoped to keep her in my heart and never see her in the hospital again, but almost a year later she reappeared when we most needed her.
By January 2024 the chondrosarcoma had spread to my dad's lungs. After the second liter of fluid was drained from his lungs he went into shock and was admitted to the PCU. For several days he was on 30 to 40 liters of oxygen, and my dad just wanted to go home. The doctors let us know that to leave the hospital he'd need to improve until he needed less than 5 liters of oxygen, which could take a very long time. They prepared us that it likely wouldn't happen at all, and my dad would spend his last days here in the hospital. We remembered Shelby from our previous stay and were grateful to have such a compassionate and caring nurse when processing such heartbreaking news.
The next day, we had Nurse Shelby again and my dad was feeling stronger. She encouraged him to get out of the bed and test his strength. With her help and confidence in his capability, he was able to get out of the hospital bed for the first time in a week. With that accomplishment, Shelby told us she wanted to try a few experiments and that she would consult with the doctors and be right back. A little while later, Shelby came back and asked my dad if he wanted to try lowering his oxygen. I was scared, but Shelby was confident and reassuring that she would be with us the entire time. With his consent, he went from 30 liters of oxygen immediately down to 5, and his blood oxygen levels remained stable! We cried with joy in the hope of being able to go back home again! Building on this momentum, Shelby came back again and since my dad was still feeling good she challenged him again. She turned off the oxygen entirely and had him try moving around. His oxygen saturation remained within healthy limits. Miraculously, my dad had gone from 40 liters of oxygen back to room air within a few days! Everyone, including our doctors, was shocked and overjoyed. That was Shelby's last day taking care of us. After 10 days in the hospital, 3 liters of fluid drained from his lungs, and 40 liters of oxygen, my dad went back home again, without any supplemental oxygen.
His journey with cancer isn't over, but we are grateful for every blessing God grants us. This miracle wouldn't have happened if Shelby wasn't our nurse. Her attention to my dad's rapidly improving condition and her initiative in taking bold steps, as well as her confidence in encouraging us to try experiments, significantly reduced my dad's time in the hospital to a degree that I wouldn't have thought possible if I hadn't been there to see it myself. Thank you to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Mayo who have all provided excellent care again and again. You are true heroes. Thank you, especially to Nurse Shelby. God put you in our path when things looked the darkest, and you were the beacon of light that guided us through. I am forever grateful for you.
By January 2024 the chondrosarcoma had spread to my dad's lungs. After the second liter of fluid was drained from his lungs he went into shock and was admitted to the PCU. For several days he was on 30 to 40 liters of oxygen, and my dad just wanted to go home. The doctors let us know that to leave the hospital he'd need to improve until he needed less than 5 liters of oxygen, which could take a very long time. They prepared us that it likely wouldn't happen at all, and my dad would spend his last days here in the hospital. We remembered Shelby from our previous stay and were grateful to have such a compassionate and caring nurse when processing such heartbreaking news.
The next day, we had Nurse Shelby again and my dad was feeling stronger. She encouraged him to get out of the bed and test his strength. With her help and confidence in his capability, he was able to get out of the hospital bed for the first time in a week. With that accomplishment, Shelby told us she wanted to try a few experiments and that she would consult with the doctors and be right back. A little while later, Shelby came back and asked my dad if he wanted to try lowering his oxygen. I was scared, but Shelby was confident and reassuring that she would be with us the entire time. With his consent, he went from 30 liters of oxygen immediately down to 5, and his blood oxygen levels remained stable! We cried with joy in the hope of being able to go back home again! Building on this momentum, Shelby came back again and since my dad was still feeling good she challenged him again. She turned off the oxygen entirely and had him try moving around. His oxygen saturation remained within healthy limits. Miraculously, my dad had gone from 40 liters of oxygen back to room air within a few days! Everyone, including our doctors, was shocked and overjoyed. That was Shelby's last day taking care of us. After 10 days in the hospital, 3 liters of fluid drained from his lungs, and 40 liters of oxygen, my dad went back home again, without any supplemental oxygen.
His journey with cancer isn't over, but we are grateful for every blessing God grants us. This miracle wouldn't have happened if Shelby wasn't our nurse. Her attention to my dad's rapidly improving condition and her initiative in taking bold steps, as well as her confidence in encouraging us to try experiments, significantly reduced my dad's time in the hospital to a degree that I wouldn't have thought possible if I hadn't been there to see it myself. Thank you to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Mayo who have all provided excellent care again and again. You are true heroes. Thank you, especially to Nurse Shelby. God put you in our path when things looked the darkest, and you were the beacon of light that guided us through. I am forever grateful for you.