Liz is a special nurse who went beyond showing me compassion and caring. The night Liz had been my nurse, my mouth had been so very dry with no saliva and couldn't get my lips together. I had reached my water consumption for the day. Liz came into my room to add meds to my IV. I asked if she had a piece of hard candy. She took out of her pocket a TIC TAC container. I held my hand out to receive 4 Tic-Tacs. I had been told to suck on them one at a time as they always helped her. Before leaving my room, she gave me the container which I used during the rest of my hospital stay. That night Liz showed me compassion.
I told Liz that my husband had brought my compression stockings to the hospital that day. I mentioned that there would be no way that I could put them on because of where the IV had been placed on my hand. Liz told me that she would be there in the morning to help me get them on. The next morning came the changing of the shifts. I knew she was busy so I figured she had forgotten. Liz kept her word. She returned to my room at 7:15. Entering into my room she said, "Let's get those stockings on." Since my surgery in 2001, I had been taught to use dishwashing rubber gloves to get the stockings on easier without putting a hole through them. Liz taught me that morning that lying on the bed, lifting my legs up was good for blood flow while putting them on. We both learned something that morning. Raising my bed higher, Liz at the foot of the bed, wearing the yellow rubber gloves, had determination on her face. "Let's getter' done." I laughed and mentioned I wish I could take a picture because she was really focused. I knew she wasn't leaving me until I had them on. That morning she showed me her caring for patients. Most importantly, she didn't forget me!