There is a story that at 5 I declared when I grew up I was going to be a nurse. A dear friend gave me her baby doll that had a hole in her knee and a red marker streak on her other knee, so I could 'nurse' this doll back to health. I put a band aid on her knees, and would swaddle her to keep her warm. I loved this doll and she became a reminder to reach for my dream of being a nurse all the way through high school. Even in college, I was signed up as a pre-nursing student and met some amazing friends, learned valuable lessons, deepened my love for the body and how important the symbiotic relations are with microbes, our environment, and the different body systems. When I was applying for nursing school, I missed a deadline due to not checking my mail, then applied and was a runner up to get into the program. I decided to travel with my mom and not wait by the phone all summer for the acceptance call or not get the call and need to reapply in the fall. I had a conversation with my roommate at the time, and what came of that conversation was that what I loved about nursing I wasn't going to get the chance to explore in hospital nursing. I didn't want to spend time in a place full of people who didn't want to be there, working with people who didn't want to be there. I wanted to help people stay out of the hospital! So through a series of deductions, massage came up as a way to pay for naturopathic medical school. As I did more research in the naturopathic medical world I decided that I wasn't sure about that avenue but massage stayed and I have had a career as a massage therapist for the last 14 years. Sometimes I will get curious if I should go back to school for nursing and the feeling comes up of ugh, NO!
What is ironic is being Liam's mom, I get teased that I have an honorary nursing degree. I have assisted a friend take staples out of my cesarean incision, monitored Liam's vitals, help take stitches out of Liam, monitored oxygen levels when he was on oxygen, many different kinds of wound care for him, NG tube placement, administered medications, worked with his doctors to trouble shoot symptoms, sat in on echo cardiograms, chest x-rays, swallow tests, sat in waiting areas for surgeries to be finished, and spent a few nights in the hospital. I even consoled a mother taking a tour of the cardiac unit when Liam was still recovering from his heart surgery. I guess my 'nursing' doll was practice for being Liam's mom. Today, Liam had a post operation appointment for his g-tube placement surgery, I was given one more honorary nursing duty, checking the fluid in the balloon keeping the G-tube 'button' in place. Phoenix Children's Hospital has become a second home for our family.
Coming from our rough and traumatic hospital experience here and arriving at Phoenix Children's Hospital I finally felt safe...I felt that Liam was safe! After a week of being in the hospital the medical team came into Liam's space to let us know that Liam could be discharged, our hearts soared, until the doctor told us he would be air transferred back to Prescott Valley until his platelets returned to a healthy level. Our hearts immediately dropped and a sense of panic came over me, Liam couldn't come back to Prescott unless he was coming home, to us. We voiced our concerns and looks were exchanged amongst the medical team. A nurse came back to us after everyone had left and reassured us, Liam would stay at the Phoenix Children's Hospital until he could be discharged to our care. The next morning Liam's platelets were at a healthy level and by mid-day we were discharged, we were able to come home, ALL of us, together, as a family.
When Liam had his first heart procedure, the doctors looked me in the eye, they talked to me when I asked questions. Up here talking to doctors a lot of times I would ask the questions and Sean would get the answers. This is comical because half the time Sean wasn't paying attention to the conversation, he was more interested in playing with Liam. Now I receive phone calls from doctors, medical assistants, nurses all checking in on Liam, making sure we receive all the information we need about whatever event is coming up or I am given the results of whatever test might have been done. I feel like I get to participate in Liam's healing, I am valued as his caregiver, his mother. The medical team who helped Liam recover after his heart surgery were top notch! Being in a hospital for a week straight, was not easy and yet, having such loving, attentive, educating nurses helped ease the discomfort of having our baby so vulnerable.
Being a parent of a patient at Phoenix Children's Hospital has been an empowering experience, I have learned how to advocate for Liam, to question and seek answers if I don't understand something or if something seems amiss, to learn the uncomfortable tasks of wound care, and how to take pride in the care we provide for Liam. If a hospital is to be a second home, and I think that is our fate for now, we have 3 appointments this month, I am glad we are at such a great hospital.
AND I am grateful for massage and the other healing modalities I practice are so complimentary for Liam's healing. The effects of the healing modalities done with Liam have been noticed and mentioned by the doctors, nurses, physical therapist, speech therapist, and medical assistants. Even though I can't keep Liam out of the hospital I am proud that I can help support his body's healing, and help keep him healthy through all the hospital interactions. I guess I get to participate in the best of both worlds, what a blessing!
What is ironic is being Liam's mom, I get teased that I have an honorary nursing degree. I have assisted a friend take staples out of my cesarean incision, monitored Liam's vitals, help take stitches out of Liam, monitored oxygen levels when he was on oxygen, many different kinds of wound care for him, NG tube placement, administered medications, worked with his doctors to trouble shoot symptoms, sat in on echo cardiograms, chest x-rays, swallow tests, sat in waiting areas for surgeries to be finished, and spent a few nights in the hospital. I even consoled a mother taking a tour of the cardiac unit when Liam was still recovering from his heart surgery. I guess my 'nursing' doll was practice for being Liam's mom. Today, Liam had a post operation appointment for his g-tube placement surgery, I was given one more honorary nursing duty, checking the fluid in the balloon keeping the G-tube 'button' in place. Phoenix Children's Hospital has become a second home for our family.
Coming from our rough and traumatic hospital experience here and arriving at Phoenix Children's Hospital I finally felt safe...I felt that Liam was safe! After a week of being in the hospital the medical team came into Liam's space to let us know that Liam could be discharged, our hearts soared, until the doctor told us he would be air transferred back to Prescott Valley until his platelets returned to a healthy level. Our hearts immediately dropped and a sense of panic came over me, Liam couldn't come back to Prescott unless he was coming home, to us. We voiced our concerns and looks were exchanged amongst the medical team. A nurse came back to us after everyone had left and reassured us, Liam would stay at the Phoenix Children's Hospital until he could be discharged to our care. The next morning Liam's platelets were at a healthy level and by mid-day we were discharged, we were able to come home, ALL of us, together, as a family.
When Liam had his first heart procedure, the doctors looked me in the eye, they talked to me when I asked questions. Up here talking to doctors a lot of times I would ask the questions and Sean would get the answers. This is comical because half the time Sean wasn't paying attention to the conversation, he was more interested in playing with Liam. Now I receive phone calls from doctors, medical assistants, nurses all checking in on Liam, making sure we receive all the information we need about whatever event is coming up or I am given the results of whatever test might have been done. I feel like I get to participate in Liam's healing, I am valued as his caregiver, his mother. The medical team who helped Liam recover after his heart surgery were top notch! Being in a hospital for a week straight, was not easy and yet, having such loving, attentive, educating nurses helped ease the discomfort of having our baby so vulnerable.
AND I am grateful for massage and the other healing modalities I practice are so complimentary for Liam's healing. The effects of the healing modalities done with Liam have been noticed and mentioned by the doctors, nurses, physical therapist, speech therapist, and medical assistants. Even though I can't keep Liam out of the hospital I am proud that I can help support his body's healing, and help keep him healthy through all the hospital interactions. I guess I get to participate in the best of both worlds, what a blessing!
No comments:
Post a Comment