Michelle High
June 2017
Michelle
High
,
RN
General Surgery
Beaumont Hospital-Royal Oak
Royal Oak
,
MI
United States

 

 

 

I am a 47-year-old healthy mom of twin 14-year-olds. Cancer was the last thing on my mind. In April, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I had a CT scan and met with a surgeon and had LAR surgery. Michelle was my nurse when I got to the 7N floor that evening. The week before my surgery my whole life was flipped upside down. I had a pretty rough first night following surgery. Michelle gave me meds and took me walking at 5 am the next morning to relieve some of the gas pain. It was on this walk that Michelle shined. She made me feel normal for the first time in one of the most terrible weeks of my life. Walking down the hall with an IV, Foley and Ileostomy bag, Michelle made life seem normal. We talked about self-acceptance, family, and yoga. That short 10-minute walk with Michelle made a big difference in how I felt about myself and my recovery.