Have you ever witnessed a Miracle?

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Mar 23, 2012

With all Respect to the Allnurses crew, I hope this doesn't get moved to the Spirituality section, because I'm truly not approaching this from "just" a spiritual standpoint.
I want it where all sorts of Nurses from different walks can respond.
Have you ever witnessed something that took your breath away on the clock? Maybe it was a small miracle, but you never forgot it. But nothing medical or scientific could explain it. Or maybe it could, but yet the odds were against it totally?
Tell me about it.

I work in the NICU. I see miracles nearly every day.

Last month, I attended 2 1yr birthday parties for a 24 and a 25 weeker I cared for in my NICU. Seeing those beautiful babies crawling around, pulling up, laughing, trying to walk, eating cake...after the hell of a time we had keeping them alive many nights...yeah...I've seen a miracle or two. :)

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 23, 2012

Not as "dramatic"??!! AKY, I've got chills reading your post. What an incredible, life-affirming miracle this was!! God bless each and every one of you who were involved in his recovery........and thank you for sharing it with us.

I'm with you! I was crying like a baby!!!! We need to let the nay sayers and "why are nurses so mean" and "Do you like being a nurse?" read this thread

4chun_cookie · Mar 23, 2012

Working in a Peds ICU, I see many miracles. But a couple comes to my mind right off the bat...

I once admitted a trauma Pt. female early teens, ejected from a vehicle at highway speeds. Besides degloving one side of her head, flail chest, and broken bones, she also snapped her esophagus right in half from the impact of hitting the ground. For the 2 hrs that she was admitted in our ICU, it was a frantic rush to stablize her. starting inotropes, pushing blood, etc. but when her pleural chest tubes starting draining brown gastric contents, we rushed her into the OR. I will never forget her mom's teary-eyed, holding my hand asking me if her baby is going to be ok. =( no one thought she would make it out of surgery. But she did! and the weeks to follow were rough. she developed mediastinitis, but recovered. she continued to heal. left our unit and moved to the wards. then moved to rehab. few months ago, I recieved a work email informing us of her progress. I watched a Youtube video of her return home. =*) she was walking, and smiling, surrounded by all of her loving family. she is a miracle!

another miracle i've witnessed, alsoa female, 12 years old. previously healthy. in the morning she was feeling good. Afternoon, she started complaining of 'not feeling well'. went to Emerg by 4pm. Coded there for 30 mins and admitted to our unit by 7pm. crashed onto ECMO by 8. she had deterioted so fast. Our drs said her prognosis wasn't good.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 23, 2012

Mine was August 26. 2005.
I was working at a hospital in Southern Mississippi. Hurricane Katrina was making landfall from the Mississippi Gulf Coast to New Orleans, LA. We had lost electricity, water pressure, and if you know anything about Mississippi in August, IT WAS HOT!!!!!
It was such a mess because we were supposed to be safe, hurricane refugees, and FEMA/MEMA(Mississippi Emergency Mngt) were here to be "Out of the Storm." Red Cross Members were everywhere around preping to get into the storm zone, but batting down for the storm here. Of Course, Shelters were set up around the local public school Auditoriums and Gyms, and Churches had cots set up taking care of storm refugees, and emergency mngt officials.
NOW WE WERE A SMALL CRITICAL ACCESS FACILITY, so you know we are totally designed to SEND critical patients to larger medical centers. Before the weather had got to critical, 3 birds had already landed with critical vent patients, and since the electricity was out, we were full up with people WHO HAD TO HAVE ELECTRICITY for home vents, asthmatic children, and others who were brought in, yet not AS critical as the vent patients.
WE WEREN'T READY FOR THIS, I was 24, and as ER Coordinator, I was in-charge. I had been there going on my 15th hour when the night fell, and the weather finally died down. The Copters were back at it, 4 more Vent patients were in by helicopter.
We had 7 now, and were running on a generator that was 1/4 full of gas. (3 more hours at best). DO I NEED TO TELL YOU THE LINES AT THE STATIONs HAD TOTALLY WIPED OUT THE GAS YESTERDAY IN TOWN! I told the MEMA officials, and they told me the roads were inpassable, and they would make calls, but their communications were horrible, and the face he made I remember to this day.
I was SO FRUSTRATED, I gathered my nurses up, and prepared to tell them worse. We had decided who would bag, who would field triage the overwhelming crowds now starting to come in, and I WAS TERRIFIED.
We gathered fuel from the ambulances, a pulpwood truck, and an abandoned Freightliner via a helping inmate trustee. The trustee told us that local chicken farmers probably had diesel saved up for the storms, and if we got in dier straights, to let him walk to his father's house. WE WERE IN DYER STRAIGHTs 2 HOURs AGO. The Sheriff said ABSOLUTELY NOT. 10 minutes later, our 1983 Generator played out, the lights went dark, and silence fell.
I snapped my flashlight on in chord with all other nurses, and we looked like a casino of flashing lights running to our bag posts. Chaos and fear were everywhere as Hopelessness was the backdrop, The MEMA official, who went out to check the generator came back and told me it was gone, It hadn't run out of gas, it was broken down-he couldn't crank it. I could barely respond,. . ."Well we have to bag. . . ,That is all we can do now."
He didn't respond, he just looked down and pinched his nose. The air was SO HOT and stiffling, I wondered if everyone else's arms were as sore as mine from bagging, and I am in shape(at the time, lol). An, EMT relieved me, and started pumping. He said he had to do something.
All you could hear now was the squish of multiple bags, hands cramping, EMTs switching out with RNs, LPNs switching with Techs, each minute felt like an eternity. The Doctor had been out in the field area, an RN and LPN assisting, they had stopped working when the lights went out, he knew they would have to revert to the worst off in side.
I remember the roar of the generator had been so comforting giving us a piece(or peace) of normality. I remember the a person with authority who I won't point out, tell me we couldn't do this forever, and their was no relief in sight.
The sound of an ATV outside getting louder was the primary noise now, and then, . . .I need 4 men to help me lift!, . .
OH GOD, IS IT ANOTHER PATIENT?
NO, ITS A GENERATOR!!! ANYONE COMING?
It belonged to a local poultry farmer who sacraficed 2/3 loss of his flock to give us power and diesel to save the lives of 7 humans, of whom, I know 5 are alive to this day, Including a 10 yr old MVA Ejection. (He is now our towns ALL STATE QUARTERBACK 8-0 this season).

The Farmer stayed annonymous even in the event, and no one but me, the inmate, and the Sheriff knew where the generator came from, 2 days later the power was restored, but off and on for a week, AN Emergency generator was brought on Day 2, The Farmer never asked for his during this time, not even if we had one coming. I didn't want to tell him one was, other stuff was promised but never made it. KATRINA WAS A BXXXCH!

Three inmates grilled daily from donated foods, and meals were pulled together by them alone for inpatients. MREs came on DAY 5.

The Inmate that saved all our butts is now the building and grounds worker for all county buildings. The sheriff was voted out next election (His house kept electricity throughout the whole ordeal).

His father died last year, the most awesome farmer I know. My church had to dig into the benevolent fund to help bury him, a man that saved the dignity of a town!

Wow.....:hug:

Epic_RN · Mar 23, 2012

During my critical care rotation of nursing school, several of us had the same patient for process papers. 40s male, heart valve vegetations. After surgery he started deteriorating, then had cardiac tamponade. Last ditch efforts to save him were thought to be fruitless, even noted in the chart that he was basically a lost cause. Vented, pressors, not sedated but completely unresponsive to noxious stimuli for weeks. Every nurse there knew he wouldn't make it. Family was set to withdraw care within 24 hours. The next morning, he is awake, alert, and asking for food. Truly amazing.

Miracle that happened to me personally. I was 4 weeks pregnant with my second child, doc said I should be at 8 weeks. Went in for u/s to determine dates as there was some discrepancy between date of conception and LMP. The doc tells me there is a HUGE mass in my uterus, no way could it be the baby. lady partsl u/s shows same. Scheduled for repeat vag u/s at a specialist's office in 2 weeks. Show up, terrified, 20 years old and 2000 miles from my family (ex-hubby was in AF). The u/s is performed and shows no mass, just my 6 week pregnancy. I was checked 3 more times throughout the pregnancy and 12 years later, it has never shown back up. And the baby I was pregnant with? She turns 12 on Monday :redbeathe

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Mar 23, 2012

saw it too, with apple juice. Mom was subbing breast milk with apple juice. Infant nearly died (newborn!!)

Merlyn · Mar 23, 2012

that made me cry!

that was lovely. thank you for sharing.

you are quit welcome. i always wanted to share that story.

Merlyn · Mar 23, 2012

I'm not a nurse, but an aspiring nursing student, and Merlyn, I couldn't help but cry reading your post as well.[/quote
The best part of the story for me is not Guido but Liz. At the time she was an LPN. One of the best that I worked with in my 40 some years. She got a scholarship to Nursing school. She became an RN, might be on the road to her BSN or MSN by now. So keep studying, Kid and Best of luck.

leslie :-D · Mar 24, 2012

i think the following is something that is more unexplainable, than it is miraculous.

as a hospice nurse, i have been a part of many blessed events, yet they were so incredibly profound and intimate that i keep them tucked in my heart.

this one though...not personal...just so very perplexing.

elderly hospice pt - mid 90's, cancer w/mets throughout.

bedbound, verbal and oriented, ate only bites of food.

this pt had a chronic, stage 4 venous ulcer on ankle..

we had tried everything including abx, just wouldn't heal.

it was comprised mostly of eschar and it was non-draining.

this pt had entered active dying phase, w/cheyne-stoking, extremities cool & mottled, and unresponsive.

well.

i enter her room one morning...

to find her up and ambulatory, making her bed.

not only that, but her ulcer was completely gone...

not even a hint of its long-standing and prior existence.

i helped agnes make her bed and then directed her to her bedside chair, where she sat comfortably.

i got my DON and the social worker to see for themselves (i needed to r/o visual hallucinations for me!)

we chatted for a few, when agnes c/o being fatigued.

i helped her undress (oh yeah - she had gotten herself dressed!) and assisted her to bed.

she then fell asleep, and again, lapsed into a deep unconsciousness, resuming cheyne-stokes later in day...

and at sunset, she died.

never, ever, EVER saw anything like that in my life - and am certain i never will again...

God as my witness.

things that make you literally, speechless.

leslie

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Mar 24, 2012

Again with the chills..........what a powerful experience that must have been, Leslie. Thank you for sharing that. :redbeathe

Epic_RN · Mar 25, 2012

i think the following is something that is more unexplainable, than it is miraculous.
as a hospice nurse, i have been a part of many blessed events, yet they were so incredibly profound and intimate that i keep them tucked in my heart.
this one though...not personal...just so very perplexing.
elderly hospice pt - mid 90's, cancer w/mets throughout.
bedbound, verbal and oriented, ate only bites of food.
this pt had a chronic, stage 4 venous ulcer on ankle..
we had tried everything including abx, just wouldn't heal.
it was comprised mostly of eschar and it was non-draining.
this pt had entered active dying phase, w/cheyne-stoking, extremities cool & mottled, and unresponsive.
well.
i enter her room one morning...
to find her up and ambulatory, making her bed.
not only that, but her ulcer was completely gone...
not even a hint of its long-standing and prior existence.
i helped agnes make her bed and then directed her to her bedside chair, where she sat comfortably.
i got my DON and the social worker to see for themselves (i needed to r/o visual hallucinations for me!)
we chatted for a few, when agnes c/o being fatigued.
i helped her undress (oh yeah - she had gotten herself dressed!) and assisted her to bed.
she then fell asleep, and again, lapsed into a deep unconsciousness, resuming cheyne-stokes later in day...
and at sunset, she died.
never, ever, EVER saw anything like that in my life - and am certain i never will again...
God as my witness.
things that make you literally, speechless.
leslie

Wow.... just wow. Chills.

BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2012

Mine is almost 21 years old and didn't happen at work, but he's a miracle nonetheless. :redbeathe
Ben was born weighing 10 lbs. 9 oz., a healthy happy newborn in every way. Unfortunately, he got RSV at 5 months of age and developed severe asthma, which landed him in the hospital for 8 days during Thanksgiving 1991. He was OK for a couple of weeks afterward, but then got sick again......back to the hospital we went. I'd gone home to gather some personal things so I could stay with him as I had throughout his first go-round, but when I got back to the hospital, I saw a doctor I'd never met before leaning over him and listening to his chest with a grim expression.
My son lay in the crib, limp, grey, and using every accessory muscle he had to breathe. Thank God I didn't know then what I do now, because I'd have been twice as freaked out as I was. The MD told me that Ben was in very critical condition and nearing respiratory arrest; since he needed intubation, he was going to be Life Flighted to a large children's hospital 70 miles away where they could handle this. Naturally, I was scared to pieces, and the hardest thing I have ever done---ever---was to put him on a helicopter and watch it fly off into the chill December night, not knowing if I'd see him alive again.
Well, I'll probably never know what exactly happened, but sometime during that 20-minute flight, Ben's condition took a dramatic turn for the better, and by the time they got him to PICU, he was sitting up and looking around at everyone like, "What's going on?" He spent one hour in PICU and was so stable by that time that he went out to the floor, in a regular isolation room. When I finally got there, he was sitting up in the crib, holding his bottle and taking the IV out of his scalp as calmly as if he knew what he was doing.
That little miracle is the reason I became a nurse. And even though I've worked mostly with folks at the opposite end of life, I'm glad I've been able to make a difference for other parents who've gone through similar experiences.

Incredible, . . .just wow!