Heroes

When I was a little girl my heroes were those you saw on TV, Zorro, The Lone Ranger, Sky King, and then later the movie heroes joined in the roll. It amazes me now that none of these heroes that I still hold dear to my heart were women. As I've aged I have added many non-famous people to this personal roll call of admirable people. Women such as Marva Collins, an educator in Chicago, that took children the system had labeled unteachable, and proved the system wrong. Yes there are faceless heroes out there that I admire and thank God for, the men and women that cleaned up after 911, those that are going to New Orleans to help the sick and homeless. But I have a particular person in mind that inspired this post. I have known her for just a few months but my admiration grows the more I know her and the closer we become. My friend Abby.

Abby is the surgical charge nurse at one of our local hospitals. And being a nurse is admirable in my opinion, but these particular nurses face life and death situations on a daily basis. Abby and other charge nurses, are virtually invisible to the hospital patient. But so many lives that have been saved can be attributed to these wonderful people. If something goes wrong in the operating room they are the ones that get the needed help in there asap. There are times that women have to have a vaginal procedure and are completely under anesthesia, they are in a teaching hospital and have signed a waiver to allow medical students to watch and assist in some cases. She doesn't know that 10 students will be ramming their hands into her vagina, if the Dr in charge has his way. It is the charge nurse that protects her privacy. It is the charge nurse the checks Dr stupidity. And like I said the patient never even know these little dramas go on while they are sleeping peacefully.

I bring this up because I listen to my friend and the horror stories she tells each weekend after a grueling week. She lives across the street from Jim and soon to be me. I see her leave for work at 4 in the morning. I see how she agonizes when they have lost a patient. And I marvel that she can do this day after day. So this is Kudos to my new heroes. S