Yesterday was hard today is better

Yesterday we originally started out with a fabulous nurse.  Things were flowing heavily for Ellie so we were in and out of the bathroom, sometimes making big messes along the way.  Every time our nurse would come in she would jump in doing everything in her power to help--cleaning up the floor, cleaning Ellie, changing bedding.  It felt like we were a team because I wouldn't even have to say anything she would just come in and start doing whatever needed to be done. 

The next shift nurse gave us a lot of contrast to that experience.  After Ellie goes to the bathroom, the nurse needs to "check" it to see what it is looking like, how much is there, etc.  After Ellie went numerous times in a row, we had a humongous mess in the bathroom.  Literally a puddle of unmentionable stinky stuff on the floor.   I mean I was busy with all the action in our room.  I called and no one came.  I rushed out to get a new bed mat for Ellie because the old one was soiled.  I noticed our nurse was sitting at the desk across from our room talking and laughing with 5 or 6 other nurses.  Now I am all for having fun, I in no way want to impede upon that.  But seriously, I had been waiting for her to come to our room for 30-45 minutes while Ellie ran to the bathroom every 5 of those minutes.  It was a mess.  Finally everything seemed to be somewhat under control.  Last night, Olive Garden brought a free dinner to the kitchen on the floor below us.  I opened our door and asked the group of nurses sitting across from our room if they could keep an eye on Ellie while I ran to get some food (if you know me then you know that HUNGRY is NOT a good look for me.)  I specifically said that she might forget where I had wandered off so if they could let her know I would be right back.  You know how when you are in a hurry it seems like everything but everything takes forever?  The elevator, waiting in line, I was rushing rushing rushing.  When I returned to the room, Ellie was sitting on her bed and she immediately said, "I'm sorry I kept asking for you."  And she was sitting in a dirty pull up.  I was livid.  At that point the nurse did come in to help out so that I could grab a few bites as Ellie needed to go to the bathroom yet again. 

I decided that I needed to share this information with someone at the hospital in the hopes that perhaps this will not happen to another child.  AND selfishly in the hopes of NOT getting assigned that particular nurse again.  I asked our nurse today if I could speak with the manager/supervisor and she was not sure who she should direct me to.  When I explained the situation from yesterday, she too became furious.   For the rest of the day she has been so totally helpful, asking me to let her know every time Ellie goes to the bathroom, actually giving Ellie a bath.  She even went down to the cafeteria when Ellie finally proclaimed that she was hungry to get Ellie's food so we wouldn't have to wait 45 minutes for it because at that point Ellie was obsessed with eating.  (And we were all pretty happy she was actually asking for food and wanting to walk around the hospital unit!)

I was upset and disappointed when I left yesterday but really the nurse yesterday gave me such an opportunity.  To practice expressing myself rather than always trying to "be nice".  To  appreciate the phenomenal nurses that we have had both today and yesterday.  Without the contrast of the nurse that we had yesterday I am not sure that I would have appreciated the spectacular nurses we have had as much.  Maybe I would have but maybe not.