Saying thank you

[Kit W]

Yesterday I went to see the Infectious Diseases Doctor for the last time . Whilst I was at the hospital I went to see the nurses that had looked after me for the two weeks I was in ICU. They were absolutely thrilled to see me up and about and doing so well. It gave them a huge boost to their moral. One nurse, who was about the only one I could remember from the foggy memories of being in ICU, Mary said she got goose bumps seeing me.

I then went up to the Rehabilitation floor where I had spent my last week in hospital. I saw the senior nurse on the floor first who was very pleased to see how well I was doing. She took me round to the 'gym' to see the people there who had helped me get back on my feet and walking again. I then went to the 'occupational therapy' room and saw four of the people there who where also pleased to see how ell I was doing including one of the Doctor's. Everyone I met on this floor were pleased to see how well I was doing. Another moral booster I suspect.

I felt it was the least I could do to say thank you and I do plan some return visits to try and see other nurses who did such a tremendous job of looking after me during my initial stay for my AN removal (99%) and my subsequent stay for the MRSA infection.

If any of you are able to do this I highly recommend doing it. For me it was a step towards closure because I have very little real
memory of being in ICU due to the horrendous hallucinations I was having (possible ICU phsycosis was suggested).

Kit

[hruss]

Well done of you Kit!

Your walk gave a lot of boosts not only to them, but also to you!!
It is always great to see someone improving after someone's help!!

Hrissy

[Jim Scott]

Kit:

What a splendid concept...to pay a visit to the hospital nurses that took care of you while you were there.  I'm almost ashamed to admit that the idea never crossed my mind.  Probably because I was anxious to be out of the hospital, don't especially care to visit hospitals and always assumed that I was simply one of hundreds of patients the ICU nurses care for each year and they wouldn't even remember me.

Now, I feel I was a bit remiss about never going back to say 'thanks', even though I did receive good care and the ICU nurses were very kind to my wife, who slept in the nurses lounge for 3 nights while I was there.  Of course, we did thank everyone on the floor when I was discharged but it was a rather hasty good-bye because I wanted to get out before my doctor changed his mind about releasing me in less than 5 days (he had said - pre-op - that I would be in hospital for a week).  No matter Kit, you certainly did the right thing in re-visiting the ICU floor and not only thanking the nurses and staff, but, by doing so, bringing closure to your experience.  Good job!

Jim

[sgerrard]

I share Jim's admiration for your act of gratitude. I am sure you not only made some people's day, you made their week, and perhaps their month. Well done!

It is a great idea, and one that I hope others will pick up on. One of these days I will have to go down to Stanford again, and see if I can do the same.

Steve

[Syl]

Kit,

I've thought about the people that cared for me at the hospital, especially nurse Arlene from the ICU. She was the overnight nurse, so it makes it impossible to catch her during normal business hrs. Nurse Arlene was an angel. Most of my time in the ICU was spent taking trips in and out of consciousness, but everytime I looked up, she was there, readily available for whatever I might need. There were other wonderful and caring people at the hospital, but she's the one that stands out in my mind. I would love to visit her and let her know how much I appreciate her.

Syl

[lori67]

Whenever anyone in my family has been in the hospital and has gotten good care (thankfully, that's most times!), we always made sure to bring a big box of chocolates, a tray of cookies from the bakery or something everyone could share and leave it at the nurse's station as a thank you.  What can I say, we Italians just love fattening people up!  Only once, recently for a non-AN related issue, did I not leave anything - and they're lucky because whatever I might have left would not have been nice!  Bad experience!

When I went to see my surgeon for my check up after my BAHA surgery, I had baked Christmas cookies for them - you would have thought these people hadn't eaten in a year the way they went at those cookies!  They definitely appreciate the little things.

As a nurse, I have to say though, that the best thank you is you actually going home.  That sounds mean, but to me it means you're doing better, I've done my job and you're going to get to sleep in your own bed and get on with your life.  Although I've never turned down the aforementioned chocolates or cookies!   

Lori

[leapyrtwins]

Kit -

thanking those who helped you is a great idea and I want to encourage others to do the same.

After my surgery I wrote personal thank you notes to my neurosurgeon, my neurotologist, my neurotological intern, and my anesthesiologist.  I also made donations in the names of my neurosurgeon and my neurotologist to the Acoustic Neuroma Association and decided to become a sponsor of the 2009 symposium.

On the anniversary of my AN surgery, I again wrote thank you's to my neurosurgeon and neurotologist and made donations in their names to the hospital where I had my AN surgery.  I hope to follow this practice on an annual basis.

In addition, I make a monthly donation to a program that my neurotolgoist is the director of, that helps children with hearing issues and provides them with BAHAs and Cochlear implants, in honor of my BAHA surgery.

To me it's important not only to honor these great docs, but to help others who are going through what I went through.  In a way it also serves to memorialize my experience and honor myself.  It also makes me feel fabulous.

I'm not a rich woman - far from it.  I'm currently supporting myself and two growing children - but I do what I can when I can.

I think Lori's idea of baking cookies or bringing chocolates and your idea of visiting and offering personal thanks are also stellar ideas.  I don't think it's what we do that shows our thanks, I just think it's important to express it. 

Jan

[Kaybo]

Kit~

I, too, went back several times (when I was in town for check-ups) but my favorite nurse - & really the one who took the best care of me and answered all our questions - was on the night shift so I didn't get to see her.  I did tell Ms. Maggie to ask for - even though that was a LONG time ago!!

Another thing, at our hospital here, they have little cards that you fill out for "Star Service" - I found out from a friend at church that works there that if they get mentioned on a card, they get a gift card for the cafeteria.  It doesn't seem like much, but it is a big deal to them.  We should all  remember this the next time we are in the hospital and see if that hospital has some program like this.

Jan~  Way to be an inspiration - those are GREAT things!!

K

[leapyrtwins]

Jan~  Way to be an inspiration - those are GREAT things!!

Yeah, well you know me; always an over-achiever 

Jan

[wendysig]

Jan,

I have to say I am truly impressed.  I've always done the cookie or sandwich thing for the nurses when I've been in the hospital.  It's good to say thank you and show your appreciation for people who take such good care of you.  I'm seeing Dr. Choe for my pre-op visit next week and plan to make a tray of cookies for them to share and one for him, either to bring home or share.  I'm also making him a cookie tree that I make for the special people in my life (it's made of several different sized  star shaped  linzer tarts that are stacked to look like a Christmas tree and is really quite beautiful, as well as good to eat).  Your generosity truly is an inspiration.

Wendy

[lacey7]

Just wanted to mention an experience I had.  You know that turban thing that you have to wear on your head?  Remember how tight it was?
I had a nurse come in, and that was at the same time my surgeon came in.  This nurse said "doctor, could you please clip a small notch in the turban with your scissors"?
He said "sure" and did it.  After the doctor left, I really thanked that nurse, and said "that is the nicest thing that someone has done for me since I've been here"!!
She got the biggest smile on her face, and said "really"?  I said "yes"........she then told me that that is the thing patients complain about the most, is how tight it is.
She walked out of my room with a big smile on her face.
I really meant it tho.  I didn't know they could cut little notches in it.  But, the fact remained that she cared enough to ask the doctor to do that.
Lacey