I ended up going for an emergency situation that required surgery, and I was in the hospital for a little over a week. I had the pleasure of having Mary Waddell on my service, and she made me feel comfortable and secure with every step of my recovery. Even with her having to deal with rooms full with two patients in each, computer systems down, patients complaining loudly about having to share rooms, overflow patients in the hall, and shortages of nurses to help with overflow, she maintained a joyful presence and never had my roommate and me waiting for periods of time for anything. She is the reason I have faith again that there are still some good nurses around.

She made me feel understood about my situation and was encouraging and uplifting, which helped me get to walking around on my first day after surgery. She was thorough in letting me know about what I was getting every time I was getting medication. She explained the importance of the steps I had to follow to get where I could graduate from one thing to the next. I have AS and scoliosis with pinched nerves, which gets worse with stiffening up, so laying down, especially in those horrible hospital beds, was challenging. Mary did everything possible to keep me comfortable with the resources the hospital had to offer. I felt like I was being cared for by a family member who had medical knowledge. It is that type of care that is the most beneficial way to recover in every way. I felt my mental health improved by having that kind of caring and understanding from a medical professional.

People who are in the hospital for a medical reason typically have their emotions going through things as well, and if you are around people who are caring for you with the mentality that you are just a body passing through, it affects them in very negative ways. It also makes them less likely to seek medical attention for their health. Mary went above and beyond the required care, and I saw that for others under her care and not just for me. Mary is the reason that if I need hospital care in the future, NGHS Braselton will be the only hospital I will go to. Mary Waddell will always be remembered by me and my family for getting me through this difficult time. I just can’t thank her enough for what she did for me that week and for taking away some of the fear of the hospital and the nurses that I had. She was my angel at that time!