Children shouldn't have to play with IV lines attached to the back of their hands. But they do. Cancer made it so. Here are some stories of some of those brave kids I have met in some of those playrooms. To be honest I never wanted to able to tell...
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I remember nurses fondly throughout my life. My mother was a nurse. So was my aunt, my sister, and one of my oldest friends. I remember the first kind experience I had in school as a child was when I was sent to the nurse's office. A tall (everyone was tall then) red headed nurse named Mrs. Wright took care of me. She had the white dress uniform, white stockings, and the old tall nurse hats they used to wear back then. I remember her looking down at me and saying "Aw hun, you're gonna be just fine" with a smile that made me believe her. I could tell she liked taking care of people.
I was about 9 or 10 when my mom started nursing school. I remember a huge stack of books in her room. I would sit with her while she studied and I would look over the books she wasn't using at that time. I remember this one big blue book in particular that I would always look through. It had everything in it from complicated anatomy charts to how to make the perfect hospital bed. I read the entire book until I got to the part about something called Rh-factor problems that can arise during pregnancy. The pictures of still born babies were just too much for me to handle. I am glad that is rare now with all our advanced tests.
My mom went on to become a nurse and for the most part worked the grave-yard shift her entire life. I remember it was because we needed the money and she could earn 1 dollar more an hour than working the day shift. She started at the old McAllen Medical Hospital on Main Street in McAllen, and then moved to the new building off the expressway, where she worked until she wasn't able to work anymore. My Tia Rachel (my mom's sister) worked there with her for many years until she wasn't able to work either, and now my youngest sister Gloria continues the tradition, working as a home health nurse taking care of terminally ill patients. I am at awe of the works she does. It takes a strong heart to be that kind of nurse.
I have been in the hospital a few times in my life, but never for any real length of time. Most of my time has been visiting family. My dad, mom, and 2 brothers, all of them died in hospitals. As we get older that happens. We find ourselves visiting more hospitals and going to more funerals. That's a natural part of life. It's happening to all of us.
But recently my visits at hospitals and clinics are centered around my 4 year old grandson Andre. His recent diagnosis of leukemia has his entire family living in and out of hospitals and clinics. This is just the beginning of a long hard road, but we are very confident he is strong enough to win this fight. I asked him not too along ago what was his favorite part of going to the hospital and clinics and he did not skip a beat, "I love the nurses!". Nurses, particularly pediatric oncology nurses, are just a different type of superhuman. They go to work knowing that the children that they are taking care of everyday may not be around long, and when they survive they are in for a long and painful course of treatment. They know that along with their great responsibility to keep you healthy, they also have a responsibility to keep you happy. They don't get paid extra for that. It's just something they do. They could all just waltz in to the room and administer the required care, but they all go so far beyond that. All his nurses stop to talk with him. They offer to stay awhile and play with him and attend to his needs as a child. They make him feel safe. They make him feel normal. You just can't put a price on that.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love doctors too, but I have been around long enough to know that it is the nurses that hold everything together. They always have. It's not just a job to them. As far as I'm concerned they should all walk around wearing capes like superheroes do. Nurses. You can never love them enough, pay them enough, or let them know enough just how much they mean to you. So next time you see one take a moment to let them know what they mean to you and the people in your life. One day you will need them yourself, and you will come to know their importance. Don't wait for that day. Tell them today.
