Angels Do Walk Among Us

This blog has no religious attachment , little fat babies with wings or the idea of our dead loved ones walking the earth to keep us safe.  The angels that I have met are just people who have  incredibly kind souls and I feel blessed to have met them.

Two weeks ago I had a brain tumour removed.  It was just a simple craniotomy (that is what my neurosurgeon said) and the tumour was benign.  My experiences the last few days, weeks and months have given me a new perspective on the people that have come in and out of my life.

The angels that I came in contact with during my week long recovery at the Royal Columbian Hospital were not supernatural.  Merely some incredible human beings working a job that until I experienced it first hand, I had no idea what they really did. 

During my stay, the only male nurse I dealt with was AJ.  The poor guy had the job of trying to get a line in my arm for the IV.  I am terrified of needles and was shaking like a leaf while he patiently and kindly did the best he could find a vein for the anesthesia.

I woke up hours later recovering in the Neurosurgery Ward with three other patients.The first 24 hours of recovery the nurses had to wake us all up and check our vitals every few hours.This was insanely annoying.Imagine drifting off to sleep only to be woken up shortly afterwards by the nurses pleasant voice asking the strange woman across from you if she remembered her name, knew where she was and what day of the week it was. Then moving in clockwise rotation to another bed, another bed and then to me.

Within three days they cut the checks to every four hours and none of my room mates were strangers to me anymore.  I was coherent enough to know all their names by the time the nurses came to check on me.  I was in bed four and they started every check with the sweet Marjorie who was recovering in bed one.

The nurses work 12 hour shifts, two days and two nights.  Long hours are just the tip of the iceberg when I thought about how hard they work to take care of all the patients.  I really had no idea that these simple human beings juggled so much as part of their jobs.  Vomit, catheters, patients crying in pain, family members yelling, changing bed pans and some things that are too disgusting for me to put in here. Yes, more repugnant than vomit and bed pans.   All of this and more while they kept paperwork organized, prescriptions filled and smiles on their faces. How can we not think of them as Angels on earth?

I laid in my bed on the third night.  The pain meds keeping me comfortable but still not able to really sleep.   I tried to get comfortable and just listened… Melissa and Taryn both have voices that will forever bring a smile to my face.  The voices of angels!  When they started on our ward shortly after 7pm they greeted all of us with joy and excitement.

The wonderful woman in bed #1 was having a harder time realizing where she was, but they kept positive and patient and had her giggling in no time.  Bed two was in a lot of pain.  She was very quiet but quicker to answer the questions.  When they asked if she was in pain, whatever the answer was, both nurses jumped into action.  “Ok dear, we will make it better! Don’t worry! We will get you comfortable again!” One of them grabbed meds while the other adjusted the bed and pillows while speaking calmly and comforting her to assure her she would be ok.  Bed three was Louis.  He must have come in right after me because I remember them trying to wake him up in the recovery room.  “Louis! Open your eyes! Come on Louis, you can do it! Louis, do you know where you are?”

Confident, calm and cheerful every single time.  Every single hour.  Every singe day.  Never waiving from the job of caring for someone who needed to be cared for as bad as Louis did.

Smiles and assurance from these two angels woke me last, I was in bed #4. They had a specific procedure to follow to make sure that our recovery from brain surgery was on track.  The same questions, the same concern and just as important – the same level of care.

Taryn and Melissa closed the curtains and took care of personal issues with privacy and professionalism.  I can only imagine some of the things they dealt with.  I know several of us vomited, some a lot worse than others.  I didn’t see it, but I could hear it.  They came running. New clean robes, sheets, mouth wash, a warm cloth and always large grins.

Sometimes the ward filled with a smell of … well… shit.  I don’t know how they deal with that when a patient can’t get out of bed?  I was lucky that I didn’t have to find out.  No matter what, both of them jumped into action, assuring the patient it was ok and taking whatever action was needed to clean up as if nothing had happened.  Respect, professionalism and kindness were evident in every word and every action.

No one had come to visit Louis at all.  All of us had visitors come and go at some point except for him. Anna, another Angel disguised as a nurse,  spoke to him in a way that made it sound like they had been friends forever.  I don’t remember the nurse on shift with her, but Anna cared for us like we were her family.  Cleaning his dentures, helping him eat his meals and just making him feel noticed.

I can’t imagine that a nurse should really connect with patients.  I think it would make the job a lot harder.  You have to show up and do your job and go home to live your life.  I knew Anna had a family and I thanked her for spending Mother’s Day working a twelve hour shift taking care of us instead of her own family.

Melissa only cared for me the last 24 hours I was in hospital.  Irene was the first face I saw when I woke up from the anesthetic and though I think I was a bit high, I am pretty sure she offered to get my pizza?  Two angels that I only had a short time with but they touched my soul just the same. 

At the end of the day, these people were just ‘doing their jobs.’ But it was so much more.  They are taking care of our loved ones when we can’t.  My own mother had to have faith that these strangers were going to care for her oldest daughter while recovering from brain surgery.

AJ, Melissa, Taryn, Anna, Wendy and Irene really cared.  Something in the way they spoke and handled themselves in the middle of the night when they didn’t know I was laying awake listening – left a mark on my heart.

I love people. I love to serve and make others feel good.  However, it takes a very special person, to do what these nurses do. Twelve hours a day, 365 days a year.  Angels really do walk among us. 

I wish I could remember the patients in my ward better, but I can tell you that all of us were cared for deeply by all the nurses on our floor.   This was an experience I really hope I never have to go through again, but it opened my eyes. 

Our health care system is not perfect. I know I had my issues and complaints over the last two years but these nurses deserve more credit than they get.  Angels really do walk the earth.  Just a few humans with kind souls and caring hearts that reach more than most mortals do.