I have had a couple of surgeries in this past year that were much trickier than we had planned them to be for reasons UNFORSEEABLE and beyond anyone's control. I was discharged today after having a FULL hysterectomy. During the procedure, the doctor found SEVERE Peritoneal adhesion between my Uterus and my colon. She also found a ton of Endometriosis and scarring. We did not know these were present. When I got out of surgery and my spinal block started to wear off, I WAS IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN! I thought there was something seriously wrong with me for how bad it hurt. Nurse Madison was so kind and compassionate! She followed the medication orders she had, but when I said, "I feel like something is very, very wrong," it should not hurt this bad, she listened! She gave me what she had orders for, but then without my knowledge, she went to my doctor with my statement and found out why!??? There really was a legitimate reason for my excessive pain. My brain wasn't just amping it up out of anxiety. Madison found out that there was scarred endometriosis in there that had to be pretty much "dugout." I really thought it was my head playing tricks on me or that somehow that much pain was normal and I was just being a sissy. Madison advocated for me and got the breakdown from my doctor about the who, what, when, where, and why of it all and was able to get an IV medication on board that allowed me to get my pain management under control and then allowed me to start physically recovering.

It isn't the pain management about this story that I care so much about, it was her wonderful calmness and patience while I was literally bawling and rocking in pain but it was more about her compassion and empathy and the way she stepped right up to the plate without thinking twice about finding out what was going on with me. She not only "listened" to me while I was there, but she really did "hear" me and she really did care. And she went the extra mile to remember my pm medication times so as to keep me on a schedule so it didn't get out of control again. I guess the computer doesn't do "reminder" alerts for pm. But she definitely checked in with me every hour and kept me comfortable and helped me stay on that schedule.

That girl really went the extra mile for me, and to her, it seemed like nothing. I am so grateful to her and your hospital for employing all the good people left in the world. Your staff really does care, but she went above and beyond for me!