I had elective surgery that I assumed would excel through recovery without any complications. This was not the case for me, the pain and nausea afterward were unbearable. I felt like I was awake all night and was scared because I knew I should not be feeling this bad. The next morning, I met my nurse for the day, Larra Newcomb. She was very attentive, you could tell she was concerned, and she truly cared about me. When the surgeons made rounds the plan was to discharge me that day. Larra did not feel comfortable doing so, she felt like there was more going on than what you could see. My stomach was severely bruised, and the incision sites were opened, and leaking. Larra was my angel, she advocated for me and my health that day. She called numerous times to have the resident reevaluate discharging me and to have him reclose my incision site that had opened. 

I was brought back to CRMH for vomiting blood. I was terrified; I was almost at my two-week follow-up and hoped I would be released back to work. Within two hours of showing up at the hospital, I was having emergency surgery to fix a hole in my stomach. After being admitted post-op to the ICU I was transferred to 10 Mountain. The next morning, I was greeted by a blonde-headed nurse with the sweetest most compassioned nurse in yellow scrubs. She was the same nurse who took exceptional care of me the first time and was the same nurse who would be caring for me during this stay. Larra took extra time just to talk to me and see how I was dealing with everything not only on a physical level, but also on a mental level. 

I was readmitted to 10 Mountain due to post-op complications. My husband and I were so happy to see our “angel” greet us. I knew I would be in great hands with her providing care for me. When the name Larra comes to my mind all I can think of is she’s my earthly angel. I feel like God placed her in my path to comfort me during this difficult journey in my life. The Lord knew I needed someone to advocate for me when I was not able to do so for myself. She was always a breath of fresh air when she came into my room, and I am blessed to be taken care of by one of the best nurses there are.