First and foremost, I am an alcoholic. I went to the hospital because my chest was hurting, and I wanted to get help with my alcohol abuse. I have tried again and again to quit, and I always turn back to the bottle. When I was in the ICU, I had a nurse named Anne Marie. She was so kind and compassionate toward me and never made me feel bad about my alcoholism. She treated me like I was a human, and I will forever be grateful for that.

On my last day in the hospital, I was going to leave AMA. She sat down with me, held my hand, and told me how much she cared for me and how much she would hate to see something bad happen to me, but she respected my desire to leave. We talked for a little bit, and I shared how my husband is also an alcoholic who does not want help. So, it is hard going home and trying to stay away from drinking. She held my hand and told me that she believed in me. She told me I can do anything I set my mind to, including stopping drinking. She gave me some resources to seek when I got out of the hospital. I will forever be grateful for the compassionate care I received from Anne Marie and the fact she made me feel like a normal human being and not an alcoholic. It was nice being cared for like that.