Magic from an Emergency Room Bed

Oh hi there. I need to find some magic. Please send some if you can.

Sometimes life hits you hard, square in the face. This time, it hit me in the back. Yesterday, a tiny tiny stone sent me on a journey of intense pain and heavy medication. My day in the ER is a blur and I honestly don’t remember much, but like I promised, magic can be found even in tough times, so here goes.

*disclaimer, this was written while still on pain meds. Any unintelligibleness is to be blamed on the devil stones sitting in my kidney.*

Here’s where I found magic in an ER bed:

Magic from love: While that may be the cheesiest string of words I’ve ever written, it’s true. No matter how much pain I was in, I never felt unloved or uncared for. My dad drove an hour to come sit with me in the hospital for six more hours. He ran his fingers through my hair like he did when I was little, it reminded me that everything was going to be alright. I was with my boyfriend when the pain first hit. He got me to the ER, held my hair back when necessary, and held my hand for the majority of my time there.

Magic from laughter:  Never underestimate the power of a nurse who can make a patient laugh in tough situations. One of my nurses, Josh, was excellent. Not only was he able to start an IV in my dehydrated body, he also kept me distracted from the pain–something no one else had been able to do at that point. I tried to find him online, but to no avail. I can’t remember what his face looks like. If you know a Josh RN that works at UNC Hospitals then hit me up and I’ll tag him

Magic from ice chips: Ice chips are the best thing in the world when you’re nauseous. Fight me.

Magic from nurses in general: You all rock and I appreciate you. You don’t get enough credit for your job. I may have made it a little difficult yesterday, but I want you to know that I appreciated everything you did to help me feel better. Especially those ice chips.

Well that’s all from me today because my pain is spiking back up.

There’s always something to be thankful for and there’s always magic to be found.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you real soon.

-Annie