Chappy
In this time of Thanksgiving and holiday spirit, I wanted to take a moment to thank a very special group of people.
Many people know I lost my leg to cancer 9 ½ years ago. Since that time, I’ve enjoyed clear scans and never gave it much thought until this past May, when the cancer returned to my lungs. After much consultation, I decided to begin chemotherapy at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. After a meeting with the oncologist one morning, I found myself in a hospital room with a medi-port in my chest and not knowing what was going to happen next. To say that I was scared and nervous is an understatement. That’s when I met my first angel, Chaina, one of the charge nurses on the floor. She held my hand as I fought the tears, and talked about the procedures, side-effects, and duration of the chemotherapy. We also discussed spirituality and faith and the importance of a positive attitude. After that meeting, I no longer felt alone.
Since that time, I have met several other angels, each one of them becoming special to me and my family. They are remarkable people, working each day and night, helping patients who are going through one of the most difficult times of their lives. I’ve been through five rounds of chemotherapy, plus hospitalized seven other times for infections and sides effects, and marvel at the hard work and caring attitudes of these men and women.
This group of dedicated caregivers has become a second family to me, and I cannot thank them enough for all they do. I found this poem which reminds me of them and all they do. Thank you.
It is My Duty
Dawn Butler, RN
I walk through those doors with pride,
Who’s life will I save tonight?
Someone is waiting for me,
Someone is alive today because of my duty.
Sometimes we cry cause we can’t save them all,
God sometimes won’t let us interfere when he calls.
A baby’s first breath when he looks at me,
The joy of my first delivery.
The tear I wipe away with my own hands,
The life ending of a gentle old man.
The night seems so dark and the morning so bright.
Being a nurse you see life in a different light.
Who will I save tonight?
Who will hold my hand during their last breath with no fright?
Who will enter this world on my shift?
How many mothers will greet their babies with a kiss?
I don’t know who these special people are
but I will meet them with every call
I will hold them tight and help the pain
I will hold them up when they feel faint.
I will be strong when I’m needed
That is my job. I am a nurse. That is my duty.