I know that you are aware of my Journey with Breast Cancer over these last 18 months, what you may not know is that I decided to create some of my own fireworks over the 4th of July holiday. And while I know it is true that nurses make awful patients, I also know that nurses being patients makes it sure easy to recognize a pretty amazing nurse providing care. Which is why I would like to recognize Megan Dampf.
I woke up knowing that I had an infection brewing, what I did not know is how quickly or how significant that infection would soon to be. I had called my doctor early that day to go in for an antibiotic script but what started out as a few red lines across my chest turned out to be my entire right side with redness, swelling, heat, and pain in a few short hours. As I left my physician's office, I knew oral antibiotics would not cut it. By the time I got home, I started running a fever and decided to call my doc back and head to the ED.
Upon arrival to the ED, my fever was already 102 and I was tacky. The care in the ED was swift and caring. I thought we got this...a few days of IV antibiotics, check the cultures, I'll be home in no time. About an hour after arriving at the telemetry unit I sat up in bed knowing that I was not feeling right; I couldn't explain it but I knew it was not right. In a few short minutes, I had several people at my bedside, I got a little bit more tacky you could say and suddenly I decided to no longer have blood pressure.
While several people worked to place IVs, hang fluids, get labs, etc., I began to cry. You see, at this point, it hit me what was happening and what was about to happen. I was supposed to be done. My journey with chemo, radiation and finally the multiple surgeries, I was supposed to be done. My final surgery was 6 weeks prior and I knew this infection meant I would have to return to OR and start part of this journey all over again.
In the midst of my blood pressure dropping and my fluid needs increasing I was transferred to the PCU for a higher level of care, monitoring, and initiation of some other medications. It was then at 0200 in the morning Megan became my nurse for the rest of the night. At that moment I did not want to be a nurse, I was angry, I was in pain, and I was sick. I needed to just be a patient and Megan allowed that. I knew everything that was occurring around me, I knew the meds, I knew I was septic, I knew what it meant when the surgeon was called in at 0330 to see me, I knew clinically what it all meant. But personally, it meant for weeks I wouldn't be able to hold or rock my baby girl, for weeks my husband would carry the brunt of running our house with 3 kiddos and 2 dogs, for weeks I would be on meds, changing ice packs, and sleeping. For weeks it meant that while it was all supposed to be over, our lives would once again be impacted by another surgery, a setback, a bump in the road.
I cannot tell you how grateful I will be for Megan that night. When you are the patient it means so much to be able to look up and fully trust the person providing care for you. I knew Megan had me, I knew she would take amazing care of me. Her clinical competence, her compassion, and her advocacy are second to none. The staff of the entire PCU were amazing those 5 days, but on that very first night, I will forever be grateful that Megan was my nurse.
For sure I will take the opportunity to recognize Megan, but I also wanted to let you know what an asset you have with HealthTrust.