My mother was admitted for a routine back surgery. She had been in severe pain for a few years with lumbar disc disease and had no quality of life left. She came into the hospital and had her back surgery. After the operation, she developed an acute occlusion of her aorta and iliac arteries resulting in no blood flow from her umbilicus to her toes. She required emergency surgery to bypass this occlusion and restore blood flow to her legs. She had bilateral fasciotomies to prevent compartment syndrome. Her vascular surgeon advised us that he didn't think she would survive this second surgery. She did but faced a tough road ahead. She developed multisystem failure after her surgery and required numerous transfusions, changing IV fluids and vasopressors. Her team of caregivers in the SICU were all wonderful but Angeline took those extra steps. She acknowledged her fear and frustration over what had happened. She cared for her expertly to meet her physical and emotional needs. She took care of her wounds and managed her pain. She took time to ensure she was getting rest, even going out of her way to go to another unit and get my mom a sleep mask. That was the game-changer. Angeline became her "Angel". That mask made all the difference in her ability to get some rest. When my mom was more stable, Angeline got her out of bed and praised her progress. After she was out of the surgical ICU, Angeline came up to Deskovick 3 to check on her progress. Each time my mom saw her it would bring a smile to her face. My mom had six children and two of her daughters are nurses, both with critical care backgrounds. The SICU team and Angeline, in particular, allowed us to feel that our mother was being cared for by experts. And that allowed us to go home, get some rest, and know that if anything happened she would be in the best of hands. I am eternally grateful to Angeline and the SICU staff.
Note: This is Angeline's 2nd DAISY Award!