I met Tammy after my cardiac bypass. She is the nurse in charge of cardiac rehabilitation. I was very weak and anxious about making it to the second floor of the hospital, where the cardiac rehab is located. The first thing she offered was to bring a wheelchair to help me.

The surgery was unexpected and difficult. I had gone in for an angiogram. I was assured it was a very easy procedure and I would be able to go home after the forty-five-minute procedure. That is not what happened. The surgeon was trying to get inside the suspected vein where a balloon was blown up inside to check for blockages. Before this was determined, the balloon burst inside my vein, and to keep pieces of it from going to my brain, I needed to have a more invasive procedure right away.

The procedure was successful, and I was sent to cardiac rehab for the next several weeks. Tammy’s demeanor made me feel comfortable right away. My dread and feelings of inadequacy were gone. I learned many ways to handle my feelings. Tammy’s teaching was informational.

I graduated from cardiac rehab, but that was not enough for me. I have been attending Phase Three for a couple of years. Tammy is so knowledgeable that she can answer many of my questions and is very reassuring. She checks vitals before and after each part of the program. Tammy communicates with the provider if there are any concerns with my vital signs.

She recently noticed that my heart rate had slowed after exercise and sent my cardiologist the information. My cardiologist advised some additional monitoring, and I cannot express in writing what Tammy has done for me and others in the rehab program.

I would not be the person I am today without Tammy. She got me through a terrible experience, and I don’t know any nurse who is more deserving of this award. Tammy has become more than my nurse. In the last few years, she has become a reliable friend.