The "7C Life Preservers" poem below was written on 11/19/99 as a heartfelt thanks to the incredible nurses of OHSU in CS-ICU. * * * They preserved Bill's life, comfort, serenity, and his dignity during a most incredibly difficult time. They nurtured my sanity, my sense of humor, my hope, my realism, and my ability to live each day carried by God's grace. During seven weeks of this time, they had the added stress of contract negotiations which, in my opinion, were an insult to the phenomenal job that they perform daily with strength, compassion, expertise, and professionalism. In solidarity with their cause, I wore two signs daily everywhere I went until the settlement. They read: "OHSU nurses give LIFE. Give them a decent LIVING." "My husband is alive because of OHSU nurses. Pay them what they're worth!" Frequently in grocery lines, clerks would comment on my signs and how they, too, were impressed with OHSU nurses. Bill "visited" eight hospitals in the state of Oregon (although, thank God, none more than five days prior to 9/27/99). In my opinion, OHSU staff gave undeniably the best care over any of the other quite superb facilities that treated him. I look forward to the day when the dedicated nurses at patients' bedsides are valued at least as highly as the administrators who are more responsible for paper work than for the living and breathing body and spirit of the patients.

7C Life Preservers Circle of love... surrounding patients, family, each other   Teaming support... 1, 2, 3, "over" or tag-teaming to the beebeep of the CVVH   Healing voices... cheery voices to buoy the patient and loved ones soft voices, rest time for the "tired puppy" patient thoughtful voices, answering difficult questions carefully, to paint a realistic picture   Care-full... attention to detail, calculator in hand, eyes scanning monitors, inching meds up or down, gentle hands changing dressings, busy hands adjusting endless coils of tubing   Versatile... laughing silliness just on time - relief is needed looking deep into each other's eyes, facing life or death together - don't know which and still the Yankees or Blazers updates singing to Elton John or Cat Stevens, beebop here and there playing "alarm clock" to a sleepy-head wife   Honoring visitors' efforts... cat visits (no cat napping or nabbing, though!) homeopathics (arseni- what??) AA meetings, room crammed full of warm recovery reiki, color energy, mysterious music for the soul music in all forms - quartet, guitarist, singers, home made tapes, CD's prayerful hearts, hands, voices snuggling with the patient - but still no double-wide bed! (:>) phone messages held to Bill's ear (Yup, the machine's full again today!) visitors directed to the guest book on the window sill requests for cell phone calls (can't stop bugging those doctors!) stress-relief aromatherapy massage lotion cards engulfing the room Cindy's specialty communication board lip-reader and sign interpreter home made patient history-at-a-glance chart   Loving circle of care... memorable for life!   Love and thanks from Jeanine DuBois, sleepy-head wife, fall, 1999

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