Thank you, Nurse L

Nurse L,

That first day back on March 4, I waited anxiously to find out who my nurse would be for chemotherapy.  I remember worrying about whether I would like her (knowing only her name).  This would be the person who would answer my questions, calm my fears, handle the dangerous drugs - quite literally holding my life in her hands.  She would watch me closely for signs of the allergic reactions that could kill me.  I can't imagine going through this hell relying on someone I did not trust.

Thank God they gave me you.

You have been a joy, a balm, a voice of reason during a time when it is so easy to spin out of control.  You've listened calmly to each of my questions, anxieties, oddities, and answered them all. 

Do you truly understand just how important you are to the people sitting in those pods?  Our chemo nurses are our lifelines and often the first to get our questions - our real questions.  You hold our hands through one of the most difficult times we'll ever have in our lives.  Our hopefully long long lives.

You are loved.
 
You are respected.
 
And I am so incredibly grateful to you for helping to save my life.  You realize that is what you do each day, right?
 
You save lives.

Thank you for making the choice to become a nurse. Each and every one of your patients is blessed to have you.  And I am proud that I have been among them.


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I wrote the above in a thank you card today.  There have been so many people who have been essential to my treatment but some do stick out more - those bright lights amidst the gloom - and Nurse L was one of them.  All of the nurses I've encountered at Lemmen-Holton have been fantastic.  Our community is truly blessed to have them.


Oh ... and did I mention:  TODAY WAS MY LAST EFFIN' CHEMOTHERAPY!!


I'll write more on that later.


But now ... we dance!