[brian]

This week, allnurses.com recieved the following email from a heart patient that wanted to say thanks to all of us nurses, so I thought I'd share it with all of you right here in the Nursing Success Stories forum, enjoy!. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!

The following email was posted this with the permission of the author.

Titled: Angels disguised as nurses

Hello,

I stumbled onto this website. I suffered two heart attacks in January of 2003. On 1/13, I suffered a mild one at my home, and was placed in the CCU unit of St. Josephs Medical Center in Stockton, Ca. On the morning of 1/16, I suffered a major heart attack, and because two nurses did their job, I am here today to tell you. I owe them everything. They motivated me to a great recovery. After they saved my life, I eventually had four stents put in over the next eight months. I failed five stress tests over that time, and last August, it was determined that I needed multiple by-pass surgery. I want to tell you that I have never felt better in my life. I have lost 165 lbs since my nurse weighed me in January of 2003. I have gone from a size 48 pants to a size 32. I am 58 and feel like I am 28. I have taught World History and coached football and softball at Linden High School the past 36 years. This last month, my softball team won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV title and we finished ranked #3 in the state. I was selected as the state of California's small school softball 'Coach of the Year'

I owe everything to those two nurses. I still find myself going by the hospital and saying hello to them. I really believe that god worked through them to give me a second chance. God bless you people in the nursing profession. I will never ever be able to repay what they did for me.

Thank you,

Mark Miller
Linden, California

[jnette]

Whooooooooooooot !!!

Thank you, Brian !

Nice to know we are appreciated.

[webbiedebbie]

When it comes right down to it...we DO make a difference in people's lives.

Thanks, Brian for maintaining this site...giving me a place to vent...and giving me a reminder of why I am a NURSE.

[Audreyfay]

Thank you. What a nice story!

[nightingale]

Wow Brian! That was a great story! Thank you for posting it.

[unknown99]

Now, THAT'S what it is all about!!!!!
Thank you Brian!!!

[MrsWampthang]

It's so wonderful to hear from people that appreciate nurses. That letter made me realize for the millionth time why I became a nurse. We nurse DO make difference in our patient's lives!

Happy 4th to all my fellow nurses and nurse-in-training!

Pam

[nightingale]

Yeah, making a difference. Sometimesyou forget the small stuff too.

I was talking the other day to a very sweet, very young CNA, about Nursing and those things I have felt were milestones in my rather short career. I told her, rather matter 'o factly one of my favorite specialties and most rewarding area of nursing, Oncology / Hospice. She was so sensitive and she looked at me and reminded me of what we did just hours before in talking with pt. family about their father and how important it was to "blah blah blah" for him. Well, I had taken that rather for granted (cause we do that teaching stuff every day) but for this CNA it was special; it was nice to be reminded how important that "difference" made to the family with this CNA's observation.

[opalmRN]

Thanks for sharing.

We all know what we don't do right and it is nice when we are recognized for the things we DO do right!