A Special Thank You To Nurses — Hospital Heroes
Thanks to all nurses before, during, and after the pandemic
It took me six months to try to explain what my and I family went through with COVID-related hospitalizations in West, Northwest Philadelphia, and Montgomery and Delaware counties. My story is a work in progress as I tried to remove as much emotion from detailing our experiences, but I’m still mourning the loss of a loved one as I live and learn about #LongCOVID.
You can read the full story here, but I wanted to take the time to thank the many nurses who tirelessly work on the front lines, choosing patient care first in the middle of the power struggle between doctors, hospital administrators, and bureaucracies.
Every day nurses often risk losing their jobs to save patients’ lives against doctors’ orders and I’m a living witness and testimony to their bravery.
I am alive today because a nurse stood in that gap.
My last weekend in the hospital was terrifying. I could barely breathe. I was stuck in a dark dirty room for over a week at a local hospital. My sheets were never changed and housekeeping only came one time. I saw my nurse angel two to three times during my hospitalization. Sadly I can’t remember her name, but she stood out because she was phenomenal, patient and most of all caring.
Sunday night was one of the worst nights. My lungs hurt and I was having difficulty breathing. I kept ringing the bell and hearing a voice saying she was coming and eventually she did. That was probably the second time in almost a 12-hour span that I had seen anyone from the hospital other than food services.
When she came in, she immediately apologized and explained that they were short-staffed that weekend, and unfortunately, she was the only nurse on duty that night. I started to cry and said I didn’t want to die. I told her that I’d barely seen a doctor or any of the nurses in the last couple of days. She explained that I could contact patient services on Monday, but she would try her best to make me comfortable that night.
