I don't remember much right after the surgery, just flashes of cold lights, the murmur of voices, and the lingering fog of anesthesia, but the first thing I do remember clearly was the voice. I had just had a right knee replacement. The most intense surgery with unbelievable pain, worse than having a baby.
I blinked my eyes open, groggy and confused, and saw her: Nurse Vanessa. Scrubs, warm smile, and eyes that somehow told me, You're going to be fine, don't you worry!

From that moment on, Vanessa became more than just my nurse --- she was the steady anchor in my sea of pain, discomfort, and vulnerability. I was frustrated. I couldn't move the way I wanted. My knee ached constantly. But Vanessa never treated me like just another patient on a chart.  She treated me like a person.

Every time she entered the room, the air changed - lighter, calmer. She had this effortless way of putting people at ease. She adjusted my pillows without being asked. She brought warm blankets when I shivered. And just listened to me as I talked about my fears, and I cried.
She noticed the little things. Like how l always hesitated before trying to sit up. "You're doing great," she'd say, standing beside me, "Healing hurts. But you're getting stronger, even if you don't feel it yet."  I got emotional. The pain, the helplessness, had piled up. Vanessa didn't rush to fix it. She stayed and assured me, quietly, and let me feel what I needed to feel. No judgment, just care.

The next day, I stood up with my walker and she walked with me around the nurses' station to keep my knee in motion, my leg trembling, and my confidence shaky. Vanessa was there. She just smiled, and she knew all along I could do it.

As she wheeled me to the discharge door, I was so grateful for having her as my nurse and someone to tell me it would be ok.  One step at a time
I'm grateful.

I may have had a skilled surgeon, but it was Nurse Vanessa who helped me heal, with her kindness, her patience, and her heart. After I was discharged, I ended up back in the hospital (30) days later due to an infection in my knee. Vanessa wasn't working, but when she came back, I specifically asked for her to be my nurse, and she was assigned to me. I was so happy, and I knew she would be there this time just as she was the last time. She was my angel in the hospital. The most caring and loving woman and being a nurse and helping people, was her calling. There are no more words to say for her, but others should follow her lead. I'm so glad I met her! Because of her, I felt I could get through anything; anything is possible with Vanessa.
She deserves the world.