My Nephew is My Special Patient

My nephew has an atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension. He is seven years old. He was scheduled to have open heart surgery on Tuesday to repair his ASD. Because of a prior engagement I would have been unable to be there for my nephew. I left on Monday for Chicago and will be in Illinois until Thursday.

I felt really bad; my nephews says I am his special nurse. I am his nurse and I refer to him as my special patient. My nieces and nephews call me Nauntie (it Aunt-tie with a N).

He tells the nurses at Cincinnati Children's Hospital that his Nauntie is a nurse also. He is my only patient now because I am not practicing as a home health RN (per diem) anymore. That's another post.

I must admit that I cried because I would not be there for him and my sister. He was scheduled for his pre-op (EKG, Echo, labs, and stress test) on Monday. On Sunday he developed a fever and a rash. On Monday, his surgery is being rescheduled for next month.

I will be there for the pre-op, surgery, and his recovery whenever its scheduled. I am limiting my travel (where I have to stay overnight for more than a day) for the remainder of 2008. No exceptions because it tore me apart to think my nephew would be on a table and I would be six hours away.

Everything happens for a reason and I am not happy of course that my nephew has a virus (he attends daycare for pre-care and aftercare and he is a first grader so he most likely picked up something).

But I am glad that this special nurse will have the opportunity to be there for her special patient.