I came in to have my gallbladder removed. I hadn’t had surgery for over 20 years. I was NERVOUS. And although all of my interactions at Community were positive, Marlene went above and beyond to put me at ease. From the moment I met her, Marlene was compassionate, thorough, and professional. She took her time explaining the pre-operative process, answered all of my questions, and validated my anxiety. She left the room to gather some supplies and assured me the IV team would be coming in her absence. When she returned and the IV team hadn’t been by yet, she took the time to just chat with me as a person- getting to know a little bit about me and sharing a little bit about herself. Connecting with me on this human level put me so much more at ease because I knew that I wasn’t just a name or a number; Marlene saw me as a whole person. While we were chatting, we overheard someone ask someone else passing by in the hallway, “Do you have breast cancer?” Marlene offhandedly mentioned that she herself is dealing with breast cancer right now. I asked her some questions about it, and Marlene was professional in sharing a little bit of her experience. Then, when the IV team came to place my IV, she was able to give me a heads up that the saline flush might leave a little taste in my mouth- because that’s something she has experienced recently with her treatment. Just that little thought to give me a heads up about something small like that, once again, helped put me at ease. She made sure my spouse came to join me and made sure all of our questions got answered. I’m sure there’s a lot that Marlene was dealing with that morning, both personally and professionally, but for the hour or so she was with me in my pre-operative care, Marlene made me feel like her most important priority. I am so grateful that she was my nurse and hope she knows that her kindness in recognizing our shared humanity has left a lasting impression on me.