Open Letter To The Front Line

Summary

The website content is an open letter expressing heartfelt gratitude to healthcare professionals for their dedication and care during the author's medical challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

The author of the open letter, a survivor of serious medical issues, extends deep appreciation to doctors, nurses, and hospital staff for their life-saving work. The letter highlights the author's personal experiences with medical professionals, including the skilled cardiac surgeon who saved their life, the attentive ICU nurse who managed the author's post-surgery recovery, and the caring nurses who supported them through a high-risk childbirth and stroke recovery. The author reflects on the challenges faced by healthcare workers, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, and acknowledges the emotional and physical toll their work entails. The letter is a tribute to the selflessness and compassion of those on the front lines, emphasizing the importance of their roles in the face of a global pandemic.

Opinions

The author holds healthcare workers in high regard, recognizing their bravery, selflessness, and the critical nature of their work.
There is a deep respect for the author's cardiac surgeon, whose confidence and expertise were pivotal in their survival.
The author feels a mix of gratitude and regret concerning the ICU nurse's care, appreciating their patience despite the author's initial post-surgery combativeness.
The author empathizes with the demanding nature of nursing, as observed in the stepdown unit, and admires the nurses' resilience and dedication.
There is a sense of wonder and appreciation for the cardiac nurse who was grateful to partake in the joyous occasion of a childbirth, a rare positive experience in her line of work.
The author is moved by the compassion of a nurse who celebrated the author's cognitive resilience after a stroke, indicating that the care provided goes beyond professional duty to a personal level of concern.
The author is deeply concerned about the safety of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and is committed to doing their part, such as practicing social distancing, to support them.

Open Letter To The Front Line

Dear Doctors nurses, cafeteria workers, janitorial staff, and anyone that gets a paycheck from a hospital,

Thank you. Not just for mustering up the courage, bravery and selflessness during this pandemic, but for everything. I’m a survivor of some pretty terrible medical issues. I would not be here today without your care. You’ve been on my mind since Covid19, broke loose across the US. But especially here in Michigan.

Back in my mid-thirties, I suffered an aortic aneurysm. I received an echocardiogram after my doctor heard a large new heart murmur. It all happened so fast I had no time to settle in to being a healthy person to a person on the edge of death. But that’s how it happened. My doctor, a genius, walked in with an unmistakable swagger. He knew he could save me. And it was a swagger I needed to see. I could tell by the suddenly nervous way the ER doctors bowed back in awe of his presence, it was a swagger he earned. He told me that the odds were 98% of surgery survival. But he added with the confidence of a man who was good, really good at his job, that with his skill and my physical fitness the odds were much higher. When Covid19 hit, knowing it hit hearts too, I feared for his safety. We need his talent in the cardiac wing. To, The ICU nurse who was so kind and watched over me so carefully after surgery, I’m worried about you too. Sorry, I woke up ready to fight and that I gave you Hell. You explained some people wake up fighting. You added that those are the survivors. After you gave me extra sedation and attached everything I ripped out, you tolerated me with a gentle smile once again. I woke up, woke up, at the right time and demanded popsicles. I’ve never been so thirsty in my life. You brought me three, saying that I should stop before I took the third one. I took it because I was parched and the cold felt so good in my mouth. It was cherry. Like the vile cough syrup I got as a child, my body rejected it. YOu grabbed my hair and handed me a pink kidney-shaped tub in which to lose it. The pain of having what heart survivors call a “full crack,” while being nauseated was off the charts. Full crack simply means my surgery required my sternum be split in half and ultimately, I was cracked in half the day prior. You really don’t want your body to involuntarily heave after such a trauma. I regret not heeding your advice.

After I was moved from the ICU to the stepdown unit, the nurses were no longer sitting there watching me the entire time. I witnessed how difficult the job really is. My nurse was assigned another patient, one that was very demanding. She’d be in my room trying to take care of me and something would buzz. She’d apologize as she took off running. She’d walk back into my room out of breath, hair coming loose from its pony, smiling and apologizing the entire time. I was fine, I was comfortable, I assured her she was having a worse time than I was. I watched the snowfall through my window in the step-down unit. She was in my room when the announcement was made over the PA. Nurses would not be able to leave as road conditions were making it difficult for people to make it to work. I saw her face fall. She was having one Hell of a shift. She needed rest. I tried to be optimistic and shared that I hate driving in the snow and at least if I had to have open-heart surgery, I would miss playing bumper cars in this weather. She smiled and nodded at me. I did tell her I was sorry she was stuck and that I appreciated all her care and hard work. I was released and as they were wheeling me out she came running. She bent down, gave me a hug, congratulated me on my recovery, and thanked me for being such an easy person to take care of. I was baffled. She was so kind and so gentle the entire time. I felt lucky to have her. To that nurse, I am thinking of you every day. I’m hoping you’re safe and healthy. And to all the nurses like her that I never met, I’m doing the same.

There are a few frontline workers who helped me celebrate my joys. When I delivered my daughter, after surviving open-heart surgery, which was kind of going in blind. We had no idea what might happen, but my heart doctor and hospital prepared for the worst. I had a nurse from the cardiac unit by my side in case my heart went haywire during the c-section. She actually thanked me for explaining that she never got to be a part of happy things like births. She was genuinely happy to help me safely bring my daughter into the world. I was genuinely grateful for her presence and my added safety. There was a special nurse after my stroke. She attended a lot of tests at my side. During one test, I was asked a battery of questions with her next to me. One of the questions I always get is, “ so you have high blood pressure,” based on a medication I take. My answer is, “ no, I have low blood pressure.” It’s immediately followed up with, “ why the dose and medication.” After my stroke, words were a little more difficult to retrieve and often garbled sounding when I did finally remember them. This was an answer I knew well. I responded without hesitation, “ I have subventricle tachycardia.” The nurse to my surprise whooped with joy, “She’s still here! She’s still here!” I had no idea what had happened to my brain during the stroke and that I might not still be here and with it. But her joy for me told me a little something about her concern for others. This was more than a paycheck. This was who she was. She cared about me and my well being. She didn’t have to. I was just another patient.

Just another patient is here at home, caring about you too. I cannot express the gratitude I have for the front line that helped me recover. I hope you are safe and protected. I know the lives that are in your hands, are lives you take seriously and put your whole heart into helping. It didn’t take Covid19 for me to understand how much you care. I’m not sure how I can ever thank you enough. But thank you. Stay safe, stay healthy. I’ve heard your requests that I practice social distancing and if that’s all I can do to thank you, I’m doing it.