I had a lap chole with Dr. B, and Michelle Lilly was my nurse in recovery. I woke up very confused and having trouble breathing. Michelle was exactly who I needed that day. She stayed by me and comforted me as I was petrified about what was happening. In the hours I had to spend in PACU, Michelle was intuitive of my changing situation and reacted as a professional, friend, cheerleader, and protector.

I ended up with flash pulmonary edema and ended up staying in PACU for hours. I still feel such a remarkable feeling of thankfulness for her. She was so patient with me as I kept forgetting to blow into the incentive spirometer (I kept sucking) and gave me gentle reminders. I have flashes of needing to use a bedpan, and based on my sporadic memory of that moment, I am sure that presented challenges to her. She handled herself with an impressive amount of professionalism when dealing with the locum anesthesiologist (who is no longer employed by the facility), who was unkind in her speech to both Michelle and myself multiple times.

I know that many people do not get the chance or have the ability to remember their time in PACU. By chance, I was afforded to watch and experience the world-class care Michelle and the other staff members provide. I was never more vulnerable (mentally and physically) that day, and the care Michelle provided was extraordinarily compassionate in her treatment of me. I will forever be profoundly grateful for her and the staff at Mon Gen. Prior to this experience, we were a Ruby Family, now we are Mon Gen Family. Thank you for hiring and training nurses like Michelle and creating an environment where the staff feels empowered to always act in the patient's best interest.