June 2021
Melanie
Asuncion
,
Registered Nurse
Medical Surgical Dept 235
Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center
Santa Clara
,
CA
United States
Melanie helped me by encouraging me to walk, eat, care for myself, and speak up when I was in pain.
In the fall of 2018, my family and I returned to the unit knowing everything would be okay. I was in the best of hands of the nursing staff who constantly showed me and my family that I had true support from the folks at Kaiser after my reversal. I spent four days recovering and healing in a quiet respectful manner. Months later, I was admitted yet again before an impending surgery with Doctor S for my stomach. Luckily, I was assigned to the best room in the unit, the same one as before! I was so excited to again return to the unit to recover before and after my surgery.
The care I received from these awesome nurses put me at ease before entering the OR. It was late at night when my surgery concluded, and my family had gone home. I woke up the next morning only to have Melanie care for me the next few days. Melanie and I had connected during my recovery of my ostomy surgery, and she helped me again by encouraging me to walk, eat, care for myself, and speak up when I was in pain. I cannot thank her enough for making such a difference in my life. She is beyond exceptional at being a nurse and her connection with patients to encourage them to get well is inspiring to me.
After my surgery with Doctor S and my return to the unit, I was again admitted for the 4th time due to a complication of the surgery and procedure resulting in pancreatitis. The staff pretty much knew who I was from previous admissions and again provided support, care, and treatment to me and my family in a way that has been incalculable to us. For me, each visit to Kaiser is different with results resulting oftentimes in admission of different ailments. The treatment I received from the entire nursing staff and especially Melanie had inspired me to give back to my community and be a supporter to those patients who have chronic illnesses and diseases.
After my last admission, I gained enough trust and motivation with myself to try and do what the nursing staff did for me. I became an ostomy patient coach at a medical device company to educate, equip, and empower those affected by ostomy surgery before and after their procedures. The inspiration and motivation in doing the work I do came from the compassionate and personalized care at Kaiser- from doctors, nurses, and CNAs, to physical therapists, home health nurses, and the student nutrition partners who delivered my food- I am who I am because each of them! They might not think they are changing lives, but they sure change mine! I want to thank each person on the unit for being there for me! I don't know if I could had the motivation to get well and recover each time without the above and beyond care I received from these incredibly caring individuals. Thank you for making my world a better place!
The care I received from these awesome nurses put me at ease before entering the OR. It was late at night when my surgery concluded, and my family had gone home. I woke up the next morning only to have Melanie care for me the next few days. Melanie and I had connected during my recovery of my ostomy surgery, and she helped me again by encouraging me to walk, eat, care for myself, and speak up when I was in pain. I cannot thank her enough for making such a difference in my life. She is beyond exceptional at being a nurse and her connection with patients to encourage them to get well is inspiring to me.
After my surgery with Doctor S and my return to the unit, I was again admitted for the 4th time due to a complication of the surgery and procedure resulting in pancreatitis. The staff pretty much knew who I was from previous admissions and again provided support, care, and treatment to me and my family in a way that has been incalculable to us. For me, each visit to Kaiser is different with results resulting oftentimes in admission of different ailments. The treatment I received from the entire nursing staff and especially Melanie had inspired me to give back to my community and be a supporter to those patients who have chronic illnesses and diseases.
After my last admission, I gained enough trust and motivation with myself to try and do what the nursing staff did for me. I became an ostomy patient coach at a medical device company to educate, equip, and empower those affected by ostomy surgery before and after their procedures. The inspiration and motivation in doing the work I do came from the compassionate and personalized care at Kaiser- from doctors, nurses, and CNAs, to physical therapists, home health nurses, and the student nutrition partners who delivered my food- I am who I am because each of them! They might not think they are changing lives, but they sure change mine! I want to thank each person on the unit for being there for me! I don't know if I could had the motivation to get well and recover each time without the above and beyond care I received from these incredibly caring individuals. Thank you for making my world a better place!