I cannot say enough good things about David. Last year, I had my first nephrology appointment. I was scared because I had an ultrasound, and I knew this was the appointment that would tell how bad my kidneys are. Not knowing anything about the appointment didn't help my anxiety at all. David called me from the waiting room, greeted me with a smile, and was just so nice. He asked how my day was going - and it may be a normal question to break the ice with patients, but it seemed like he genuinely cared how his patient's day was going. I answered, and then he checked my weight. He is the only nurse that I have had who asks, "Would you like to see your weight in pounds?" Uh, yes, it's easier to just know than try and guess how much I weigh in pounds from kilograms. So, he found the weight on the lamented paper and put a piece a paper under it so I knew which number to look for - and that was just kindness.

Since this was a nephrology appointment and I have kidney issues, the blood pressure monitor and I are "not on the best of terms." I knew I would have to have my blood pressure checked three times, so I told him. Then, before he took my blood pressure, we chatted and joked, and he learned that I like playing video games. Then my first blood pressure reading was high, and he told me to strive to be lower than the first number. I tried as the second number lowered, and I laughed as I couldn't help it. Then he told me to find my happy place. I told him my happy place is a video game that I am playing in my head. He told me to do what I needed to do to achieve that happiness, and my blood pressure was taken again, and this time it was a little better. That interaction helped alleviate the tension of a serious appointment for someone who has anxiety. He also told me about having the nephrologist order me a blood pressure monitor so I can monitor my blood pressure at home. (I did bring that up with my nephrologist and got one, and it has helped me a lot.)

Since David knew I liked video games, he gave me a video game goal to achieve by my next visit. I don't know if he realizes that it helped tremendously in not focusing on the negative of my kidney diagnosis at that time until the next appointment. The second time I had a nephrology appointment, David called me from the waiting room a bit early as he knew I would need to have my blood pressure taken three times. Just like with the first appointment, he asked if I wanted to see my weight in pounds before going to the exam room, which, of course, I did. Before checking my blood pressure, I told him that my blood pressure was going to be high, and what stressors were in my personal life, and he listened. So, the first time yet again, my blood pressure was high, like I knew it would be. I was already laughing as I knew how this was going to go, but he said he believed I could lower my blood pressure. The second time it was still high, and I was back to laughing, as what else could I do? He then told me he had faith that I would lower my blood pressure on the third time, and I told him I wouldn't have faith in lowering my blood pressure. He said it may be "misplaced faith," but he has faith that I would lower it. Then I had my blood pressure taken for a third time, and it was lower. I was surprised, but he wasn't because of his faith in me lowering my blood pressure. Now every time I take my blood pressure at home and the last two appointments at the clinic, I just remind myself about David's faith in me to lower my blood pressure, and so far, it has been helping me get my blood pressure lower.

David helped ease the tension of both of those appointments by just listening, joking, and having some faith in his patient with anxiety, and that makes me want to go to my nephrology appointment, even if I am scared of what the nephrologist will say at the appointment.