I must be a super hero!

So just yesterday I had posted about how I sometimes feel like a super hero because I am an ICU nurse. I take care of patients that are on the brink of death and, in some cases, I pull them back.

Well yesterday I won a ticket to the local critcal care conference. I was actually not wanting to go because I am going to a huge conference in Washington DC in the middle of May. I need to work a ton to pay for the rest of my expenses. My boss told me I had to go and I wasn't allowed to work the night before. And she didn't get me a good enough reason. So, of course, I was extremely aggrevated! I wasn't even going to go, but then the other co-worker that won a free admission called me. "Can I get a ride with you for tomorrow?" Dang it now I have to go!

So that whole night before I slept a big whopping 2 hours (I am a night shift RN that keeps on night shift sleep patterns). I was exhausted by the time we got there. The first presenter almost put me to sleep. The second was very good and I was re-energized. Lunch break... They wanted us to come back early to do the award ceremony where they honor 2 people for excellent patient care.

The award ceremony started and I knew the lady that was talking. I couldn't remember how I knew her. Then she started to talk about how first hand she had a very serious event that took place just weeks ago. Then it dawned on me, she was one of my patient's mother.....

She started to tell her story of how her 30 something year old son was dying and that she as a respiratory therapist knew he was dying. She talked about how the day shift nurse (my co-worker that won the other admission) had worked so hard and so vigilent to try to save her son's life, keeping her updated, and consoling her when things looked beyond grim.

Then she started to talk about me. By this time I was already bawling, knowing what she was going to say even before she said it. How I fought for her son and called doctors and made one doctor very mad at me. How my diligence and extreme caring got the treatment that would soon save her son's life! She said that if I hadn't started continous renal replacement therapy (continous dialysis) her son would not be alive today.

He may still be in the hospital but he is soon to be discharged home...

I really do feel like a superhero. Some days I feel like I am taken for granted. But other days I get recognition that totally takes my breath away....

Now I just need a cape!!!!! Sorry I needed some kind of comedic relief. I am bawling right now, writing this down!

Here is the award I received.