Hospital Staff - Janet

I met many people being in the hospital for four days.  One person who made an impact on me was Janet. Janet worked the night shift and she was a registered nurse.  Short, solid and hardworking I guessed within five minutes of talking to her that she grew up on a farm.  She did grow up on a farm in northern Iowa.  I know this because I told her when I worked night shifts at a nursing home 40 years ago I felt jealous to see people sound asleep.   She said she doesn't feel that but once, when leaving a Christmas gathering and driving down the country roads, she would see farm houses lit up and looking so cozy and inviting that she wished she lived at each one.  Janet was kind and no nonsense yet playful.  She would say, "Let me adjust George here so he can do his job correctly."  George was my name for the leg massager on my right leg.  Janet was great because she made me feel cared for and important and secure.  The first night I had trouble because every time I went to sleep my oxygen level would go too low. An alarm would sound and I would wake up and start breathing better.  This cycle kept repeating itself.  When Janet gave me an oxygen cannula that went away so I could sleep.  After that, as soon as I got really good into sleep, the alarm would go off again.  My heart rate was too low.  I saw pulses of 48, 47, and 46.  Anything below 50 would cause that alarm to sound.  So here I am, basically immobile. These low heart rates were scary.  How low would they go?  How am I supposed to make my heart rate go up when I can't get up and exercise, can't move my legs because they are strapped to a triangle shaped pillow between my legs, can't do much at all.  I started moving my arms. My left arm has to be kept straight because of my IV. I wanted to sleep but instead I punch the air up, to the side, and out to the front.  I wave my arms like windshield wipers back and forth.  I do this for a while, drift off to sleep, and am awakened again by the alarm.  This was not a good cycle so I pressed my call button and told them about the problem.  I can't remember what happened after that but I think Janet took care of the problem.  Janet was a great nurse and I was lucky to have her manage the side effects my body was struggling with. Thanks Janet for your quiet confidence, hard working demeanor and your talent as a registered nurse.