After suddenly losing my husband a few years ago and relocating to a different city, I was not ready to handle anything else, especially surgery on my very dilapidated, painful knee. I knew that Dr. G was correct in his assessment and that a knee replacement would benefit me greatly. Still, I thought I could not deal with any more change. So, I pushed that thought aside. My daughter told me that she would be able to come and stay with me during surgery and rehabilitation. Even then, I dug my heels in and said that I was not ready. She continued to gently push me and finally, I agreed. Thankfully, I did not delay any further. The morning of the surgery I was attempting to put on the gown, and after fumbling due to a sore shoulder, a very kind nurse, Dawn Keim, offered to assist me. At this point, this wonderful nurse gave me time to hold more grandchildren.
What I mean by this is that she noticed a very small but irregular mole on my upper back. I would never have seen anything suspicious as this is a place where I am unable to see and, living alone, there would be no one else to see it either. She described it to me and suggested that I have it looked at as soon as possible. It would have been easy for her to just tie my gown and not become involved, but that isn't the kind of nurse that she is. After a bit of recovery time, I visited my dermatologist. The biopsy showed that it was indeed melanoma. She gave me a number to call and said to phone them NOW! From there, all went quickly with final lab results, following removal, being negative. It had gone no further than stage 0 thanks to the wonderful nurse and because of her, I will be able to enjoy holding my grandchildren for some time to come. I owe Dawn so much more than a thank you. I want her to know how thankful I am that she is on this earth and that our paths crossed as they did. I consider Dawn to be an angel in my life.