Posted by kbuxman on December 27, 2010
“2011 has got to be better than 2010.”
Don’t know about you, but I hear that comment a lot. Maybe you’ve heard it, thought it, or grumbled it, along with a few other descriptive words, too.
There’s no denying that 2010 brought unwelcome, un-fun challenges to a slew of us, including me.
On the whole, though, I gotta say, these setbacks gave me a renewed appreciation for the people who got me through them. And still do. They help me ‘Stick through the Ick.’
It’s been a year since I was looking at going into a potentially harrowing modified total knee revision. Because of untold complications I brought to the table, there was no clear-cut fix for my situation. Some of what potentially needed to be done was impossible or risky if attempted. I was also looking at an insurance situation where there was no promise of coverage or payment. Can you say stressful?
It was the kindness and calmness of many people who got me through the year, beginning twelve months ago. A bunch of those people happened to be nurses.
How would I have gotten through yet another year marked by surgery if it hadn’t been for everyone who pitched in to take care of me throughout the lengthy process: pre-surgery, surgery, post-surgery, recovery, and for-crying-out-loud-it’s-been-five-months-when-will-I-stop-feeling-like-a-patient-and-just-get-to-be-a-normal (sort of) person-again?
Because of your profession, you already know the medical team needed to take a patient through surgery. Nonetheless, humor me as I test my memory for the nurses alone who helped me through the Ick of Surgery:
- my clinic nurse Fran, who helped with all the nitty-gritty practical issues of insurance and oh-so-much-more, including calming nitty gritty nerves before and after surgery;
- pre-op nurses, who calmed yet more nerves, and who walked me through this all-too-familiar process which should be piece o’ cake for me by now but never is;
- all the OR nurses who watched me when I couldn’t watch myself because I was unaware of um…everything;
- my post-op nurses who patiently and kindly answered my repetitive questions when I would have driven me crazy with such confusion;
- my post-surgical nurses on the floor who took care of, well…in a word – you guessed it – everything.
Isn’t it always the people in our lives who make it or break it for us? This last year was filled with people who helped me ‘Stick to it – no matter what!’ They are the StickPeople of my life.
By the nature of being a nurse, you’re a StickPerson to many, even if you don’t always see it. Know you’ve made a difference for others, and on the flip-side, who made a difference for you this year? Who helped you Stick through the Ick of 2010? Think about it, and if you’d care to share, I’d care to hear. Send me an email to the address below.
Here’s to a brighter and shinier 2011! And to the StickPeople who make it happen for me and for you!
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A few more days until a new year…and sorry, new challenges, too. Who will help you, and who will you help to Stick To It – No Matter What? Watch for Kris Harty’s timely book in early 2011, written specifically for and about Nurses as StickPeople. Kris is a 40-year veteran of the industry – on the receiving end. Her unique perspective is educational, inspirational, and full of reminders for nurses new and lifelong. Kris helps students decide on a nursing career, educates nurses on the easy way they can positively impact patient care, and reminds long-term nurses of what they already know. She is a keynote speaker, author and small group facilitator. Kris Harty is the Stickabilities Specialist at Strong Spirit Unlimited. If you’re looking for an effortless and meaningful way to thank your nursing staff for a job well done, contact Kris. Call 877.711.STIC(K), e-mail StrongSpirit@StrongSpiritUnlimited.com, or visit www.StrongSpiritUnlimited.com
