As exhausting as it is to work three night shifts a week (only six more months before I get to cut my schedule in half!!) and be a mom, I must admit there are nights that my job is extremely rewarding.
This little guy, my Michelin Man, just melted my heart the other night. He is 7 months old and the fattest little dude I've ever seen. He is over 20 pounds had so many rolls, his diaper was hard to change. His parents couldn't stay the night, so he was my buddy. He sat in a swing next to me or on my lap while I charted and flirted with all of the nurses. He is now done with the second of his three open-heart procedures to fix his heart that will ultimately give him a circulation pattern through his heart that is totally different than normal. The surgeons literally cut and paste his incoming veins to his pulmonary circulation to bypass the need for a left ventricle that he is missing. He has done amazingly well and will go home soon.
I needed him because lately, it has just been one sad story after another. There are times when I cry on the drive home in the morning. I've had two patients lately that showed up in the ER who were otherwise totally healthy only to find out they have a diseased heart and need a transplant. Then there is the 10 month old with so many heart defects that they didn't know where to start. She has been on our floor so much lately that her mom and I have developed a friendship. And, finally there is a 17-year-old who beat cancer when he was 12 only to find out now that the chemo he got ruined his heart and he now needs a transplant.
Needless to say, I'm grateful for my Michelin Man to lift my spirits. And as much as I hate working 3 nights a week, I feel very lucky to be doing something that gives back to a hospital that has given us so much over the years.
The Gift of an Imperfect Christmas
6 years ago
7 comments:
I've not doubt that you are touching lives and making a difference.
Hey,hey good lookin'!!! That's a handsome little guy. I love hearing about what you do.
Sooooooooo cute!!! I totally believe God gives us little boosts like that right when we need them! Hang in there, pretty lady, you are nothing short of amazing!!! =)
Have I remembered to tell you lately how much you absolutely amaze me? You ROCK
I'm about to cry for you thinking of having to see things like that all the time. Thank goodness for little rays of sunshine!
I don't know how you deal with the little ones. I work with the big ones and it is hard enough when we loose one of them who have lived a long life. Best of luck to you.
What an inspiring little guy. I loved reading how you held him all night. I remember when Ez was in the hospital and there were certain night nurses that told me how much they loved him and would just hold him all night. It felt so great as a mom to know that when I couldn't be there, there were awesome nurses like you who were loving my baby and caring for him so well. Keep up your excellent work and keep your spirits high.
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