KyANA CRNAs on the COVID-19 Front lines in the HotSpots
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Day 7: God’s Love. Today, I entered the hospital at 6:45am. I’m finally getting a feel for where I am but, I’m still unsure of the day....Wednesday? I travel past the mash tents thinking it’s almost time. Just a few more days and we will be filling those tents with patients. So much drama and crisis. Very few good outcomes.....until today.The only thing sadder than an ICU patient, is two family members in the same ICU. We’ve been caring for an uncle and his nephew. It’s been tragic to hear the family’s distress. Two loved ones, fighting for their lives and not knowing if they will pull thru. Both patients were sedated and intubated and critical when I arrived this week. Yesterday, the nephew was improving and was able to successfully wean from the ventilator. Today, he remained stable for the entire shift! I was thrilled to escort him to a non-ICU bed on another floor! He is surviving covid! As you all know, I am a believer! I know the power of prayer and love! And, I have seen it first hand!
We have another patient who spent yesterday trying to die. He was so unstable. His son was extremely worried. The son said ‘My father is a great man. I still need him.’ The team took the phone and held it next to the dying man. He was sedated, paralyzed (from drugs) and on a vent but, that patient responded to his son by improving. He started to stabilize.Knowing that he needed to reach out to his father immediately, the son was able to convince management to let him visit. A few hours later the son arrived. He was gowned and masked and gloved.The son entered his father’s room. He told his dad that he ‘had to live!’ He said ‘you gotta fight!’ The patient stabilized even more.Today, I arrived on the unit to find a stable patient. He found his inner strength and truly began fighting to live.We can talk about drugs and treatments all day long but, our prayers and the love we give are far more powerful than any man made remedy. Please pray for our patients that they will find the strength to fight! And pray for the families who are suffering, as well. Prayer supersedes all! Stay safe my friends!
Day 7: Patient/Dad Update - I was so touched by everyone’s positive responses to yesterday’s post. For those who didn’t read the post, we had a son come to the hospital and beg his father to live. He started to improve. The patient went from crashing (bp trending towards death) to stabilizing. Today, he was off all of his medications, including the ones to maintain his bp! He was starting to move around a little! I was not directly caring for this patient but I gave his nurse a break. I went into the room and I said ‘Sir, you don’t know me but, people all across the US are praying for you! I put your story on my fb and everyone wants you to get better.’ No joke, about 30 mins later I told the md that the patient was breathing over the vent. Meaning, he was trying to breath on his own! So we switched his vent to support his breathing, as opposed to, breathing for him. Now, don’t get me wrong. I certainly don’t think my words made a difference. What I think worked were your prayers.This gentleman may wake up and never have any idea of all the people who enveloped him in love and prayers. How incredible the power of prayer can be!