Dear Ben, awakening on Saturday evening was an excruciating experience for me.
I was in your care in the ICU recovering from heart bypass surgery and though I could hear people talking, I could not understand what was happening to me.
I knew that my family was there, and I could sense how you were so calm with them as you answered their questions. As I was flailing my arms and legs with discomfort; you were simultaneously moving around me doing your critical work and communicating to me that everything would be ok.
Then, in the wee hours of the morning, you again did your job caring for me with a noted passion for professionalism and gentleness when I was scared.
Ben, I have never experienced this level of pain and I had no idea how to process it but having you at the helm for my care was itself calming for me.
I want you to know how much I appreciate the work you do every day, that same work you probably see as ordinary, as it was not ordinary for me and my family.
My family and I kept talking about you and your exceptional care. I was released the following Wednesday and am healing ahead of the curve. Thank you for being an essential part of my care team and helping me recover faster than expected.