Proud

Proud of the hospital I work at, and my fellow colleagues...nurses, PA's, physicians, surgeons, lab techs, CNA's, all of them! My mother in law, Gloria, has had a tough week. Actually a down right rotten week really. Within 2 days she learned she was a severe insulin dependant diabetic, and that she had broken her hip. The fall was completely unrelated to the diabetes. She had been moving a branch off her driveway and in the tug of war match, well, the branch won and she went flying, breaking her femur. She actually didn't see a doctor, was walking on it with the help of a walker, and saying it was feeling better when she saw her PA for the diabetes news. Her PA on examining her hip promptly ordered an xray and Voila, a broken hip had occured.
Through great PA friends who work with our orthopedics group we quickly had a pending ORIF scheduled of the right hip, as well as Diabetes management as her sugars were pretty out of control. I was doing my best to check her blood sugars before and after work, and be sure she got her insulin , but it was all very overwhelming to her, and for good reason! We took one day at a time this last week until today...and today it happened! She is a hospital virgin, I would call it. No prior surgeries, and other than the recent diabetes no other medical diagnoses. She was a nervous Nelly but she had a wonderful spinal anesthesia, a short nap, and her hip will now, (hopefully) heal, and she will learn how to manage her Diabetes, give her self insulin, and be non-weightbearing for 6 weeks.
My hospital did fabulous. She was one impressed patient! I loved being able to chat with my friends who were also the amazing professional people who were giveing her great care. I think this really put her at ease, giving her faith in the medical community.
For myself, being on the other side, seeing the whole system come together as family of a patient, rather than a PA in the hospital, I was impressed as well. I speak to nursing staff on the phone all the time, work in the OR all the time, but to see their interactions, high level of skill, and awesome compassion, well it made me proud of our big little hospital here in the redwoods.
She will be in for another 2 -3 days, where hopefully we can get a great care plan ironed out. I'm sure there is still a lot of struggles with her weeks events left to play out, but at least now we are on the road to recovery. This is an individual who is NOT overweight, has never smoked, is very active, but well, SH$% happens you know! A pancreas can  poop out, falls happen, and you can get better and overcome it all. Looking forward to healthier weeks ahead :-)