Rene Orris
October 2019
Rene
Orris
,
RN
Emergency Department
Silver Cross Hospital
New Lenox
,
IL
United States
I came into the ER 5 days after delivering my first baby. I was experiencing a delayed hemorrhage. I was passing blood clots the size of baseballs. The amount of blood that was all over was a lot, to say the least.
Then Rene came in; an angel. She cleaned the bathroom explaining to me I shouldn't have to continue to look at how awful the situation was. She was a hard worker! Often holding my hand telling me, we will get through this. She coached both my husband and me on what to say to the family because we had a variety of personalities to deal with.
At one point I started to collapse, she immediately started oxygen and started "prepping" me. She said, "I know where this is going, and I want you ready". Within minutes I was heading for an emergency D & C (that procedure and recovery took 4 hours +) and had 4 blood transfusions, bags of plasma and platelets.
Rene said she knows this is all so scary for me. I swore off having other children and she told me those feelings will pass. Fast forward, few days in ICU, embolization, back to the OB floor couple more transfusions and I went home. I gave Christmas cards with my daughter's newborn picture to the amazing nurses I had throughout this terrifying experience. Fast forward 6 months and I was back in the ER for a migraine (nothing life or death this time, haha). I asked my nurse if Rene, with glasses, was working. I explained why I was asking. Sure enough, Rene came in. She greeted me with a hug and told me she continued to check on me while I was in the hospital. She said she was just starting her shift and asked if she could hold my daughter. She explained she had my daughter's newborn picture hanging on her fridge and when her kids ask, "who's the baby?" She says, "someone special".
I truly feel I wouldn't have been able to get through that with anyone else. The compassion and empathy, her kindness and love were all things a new mom needed as I experienced this near-death situation. I will never forget her. I remember as they were wheeling me out of the ER, I asked if she could come with me because I was scared without her. She assured me I was in good hands. (I can confirm that I definitely was in good hands). I do have a second child now. Rene was right that I would get through all of it and my life would move on. My husband and my parents still talk about how wonderful she was that night in the ER. She is a true DAISY Nurse.
Then Rene came in; an angel. She cleaned the bathroom explaining to me I shouldn't have to continue to look at how awful the situation was. She was a hard worker! Often holding my hand telling me, we will get through this. She coached both my husband and me on what to say to the family because we had a variety of personalities to deal with.
At one point I started to collapse, she immediately started oxygen and started "prepping" me. She said, "I know where this is going, and I want you ready". Within minutes I was heading for an emergency D & C (that procedure and recovery took 4 hours +) and had 4 blood transfusions, bags of plasma and platelets.
Rene said she knows this is all so scary for me. I swore off having other children and she told me those feelings will pass. Fast forward, few days in ICU, embolization, back to the OB floor couple more transfusions and I went home. I gave Christmas cards with my daughter's newborn picture to the amazing nurses I had throughout this terrifying experience. Fast forward 6 months and I was back in the ER for a migraine (nothing life or death this time, haha). I asked my nurse if Rene, with glasses, was working. I explained why I was asking. Sure enough, Rene came in. She greeted me with a hug and told me she continued to check on me while I was in the hospital. She said she was just starting her shift and asked if she could hold my daughter. She explained she had my daughter's newborn picture hanging on her fridge and when her kids ask, "who's the baby?" She says, "someone special".
I truly feel I wouldn't have been able to get through that with anyone else. The compassion and empathy, her kindness and love were all things a new mom needed as I experienced this near-death situation. I will never forget her. I remember as they were wheeling me out of the ER, I asked if she could come with me because I was scared without her. She assured me I was in good hands. (I can confirm that I definitely was in good hands). I do have a second child now. Rene was right that I would get through all of it and my life would move on. My husband and my parents still talk about how wonderful she was that night in the ER. She is a true DAISY Nurse.