"Newfound appreciation"

I just wanted to write to show my gratitude and appreciation to all of the ED staff, theatre staff, nurses, Dr’s, staff on the ward and my anaesthetist. I was admitted to Fiona Stanley after a routine colonoscopy and removal of a polyp at another hospital went wrong. It was my first ever time in hospital for a procedure of any kind. I have a blood clotting disorder and was bleeding internally. I wasn’t sure how serious it was. But I was scared.

Every staff member I encountered along the way showed compassion and kindness towards me. I had 2 panic attacks and they were there on hand to calm me down. As I was being wheeled into the theatre I had the 2nd panic attack. The anaesthetist rubbed my arm and helped me take some deep breaths. I remember looking at her and she looked back with a very caring look in her eye.

My nurses Kate and Hannah in ward 5D were very caring. They checked in on me regularly, made sure I was comfortable, answered any questions I had or found the right person to answer them and it seemed showed genuine interest in their role as a nurse. It was heart-warming to see humans caring for humans in this changed world we now live in. Outside those hospital walls, it’s chaos. Within, it was a peaceful, caring and warm environment. I have never liked hospitals. I have always feared them. But my experience was pleasant and I have a newfound appreciation for the role I feel you all play within the health care system.

I believe you should be proud of yourselves, every single one of you. Know you’re doing god’s work, in my opinion. I feel that you may be tired, overworked, run down, sick of patients, but you are only human, I noticed that. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so kind to me and so patient when I felt silly for crying or like a burden for asking too many questions. Keep the passion you have, I believe it’s all worth it in the end. I commend you highly and feel strongly when I say that based on my experience, Fiona Stanley has some of the best staff in the country.