If you are a long time reader of this blog, you may remember that after I had Logan I was very, very sick and in and out of the hospital for 4 months.
This nurse was great. She was so disappointed that she didn’t make it back to the room in time for Logan’s surprise arrival.
I was so sick that it makes my stomach hurt now just to think of that time.
It all technically started about my 6 month of pregnancy. I had lots of pre-term contractions and they couldn’t figure out why. They put me on antibiotics thinking it was an infection somewhere they couldn’t locate. Before I went into labor with Logan I tested positive for Strep B, so they put me on more antibiotics. The day I went home with Logan I bent to pick up Kora and doubled over with a sharp pain in my side.
I blew it off but two weeks went by and the pain continued and worsened every day. I was spiking high fevers of 104, I could barely move, I was in and out of the ER.
It took 4 months for the doctors to realize that it was all due to my appendix. Once a team of surgeons agreed to remove my appendix the pain went away the next day and so did the fever.
During that time I encountered a lot of nurses. Many of the doctors were far from caring and had no bedside manner. Some even bordered on rude.
Thankfully I can’t say that for the nurses.
I don’t remember one nurse who made me feel like I was troubling her or a burden to her already busy schedule. In fact, there were a number of nurses who were not only caring and sympathetic but who also did their best to try to figure out what was wrong with me.
I’ve always been thankful that one of the nurses that worked in my OB’s office was so incredibly kind, caring, and intelligent. Her name was Linda and she would spend ages with me trying to figure out what was wrong. She made me feel like the only thing that mattered to her in those minutes we spent together was me. Something that I cherished when many of the doctors made me feel like I was a nuisance.
After I lost a significant amount of weight after having Logan, was running a fever I couldn’t get down, and was struggling with that horrific pain in my side, it was her who figured out that I had contracted C. Diff from all of the antibiotics I was on. No one else had taken the time to put it together. If it had gone on longer things could have been much, much worse for me.
Having spent so much time in the doctor’s office and the hospital, I am so thankful for the nurses that helped me when I needed it most. I’m thankful for those who took the time to talk to me and were caring when I could tell their schedules were jam packed and they were tired. I’m thankful to each and everyone who came into the room with a smile and kind words.
They don’t know how much this all meant to me and that’s why I’m excited to share below information about a fantastic contest to honor them.
The Johnson & Johnson Amazing Nurses Contest celebrates all of the dedicated nurses across the country.
Ten finalists will be honored on the Amazing Nurses contest page and will receive a commemorative plaque. One will win a grand prize trip to Los Angeles and 2 VIP tickets to attend the 2012 CNN Heroes: An All Star Tribute. The winner will also be featured in a video profile to be screened before the live audience. Isn’t that amazing?!
To nominate a nurse, simply share your story of how a nurse impacted your life, or that of a family member or friend, on the Johnson & Johnson Amazing Nurses Contest page. The contest entry form is easy to fill out and the essay portion is only 300 words or less.
Here’s some information about nursing that I was amazed to learn recently:
- The healthcare field is experiencing a severe shortage of nurses. There is currently a nationwide vacancy of 100,000 positions and that number is expected to grow to 800,000 by the year 2020.
- The good news about these stats is that it means the career outlook for the nursing field is excellent. It’s also a highly regarded position. In a 2011, Gallup poll the public voted nurses as number one for “honesty and ethical standards of various professions” for the eight consecutive year.
It will only take a few moments to share the story of a nurse that touched your life and it’s a fantastic way to say thank you. So head over and nominate a nurse today. But there’s not much time left, the contest nomination period ends June 29th, 2012.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.
About Tired Mom Tésa
It’s amazing the difference in how the doctors make you feel compared to the nurses. There are some crabby nurses , but luckily very few.
You’ve really been through the ringer! I can’t even imaging how exhausting it would be to have 4 months of appendicitis right after giving birth, and then a C diff infection after that! Nurses really are exceptional people. I’ve had the same experience with nurses picking up on things the doctors missed. It really makes a difference when you get to know a patient.
I completely agree about how wonderful the nurses are out there. I have always felt cared for and comforted by them.
There are so many amazing nurses I ve had the pleasure to have been in there care
There are so many great nurses! I am so sorry you had to go through all that – My mother had C.Diff and as soon as I read “they put me on more antibiotics” I knew your post was going there. It’s just an awful disease! Glad you had someone who figured it out and cared enough!
What a difference it can make having even one nurse that is truly there for you!!
What an awful ordeal that must have been for you. I’m really glad you had some good nurses on your side.