Emergency Room Enlightenment

Labor Day 2016 – I was grading papers. My husband was watching baseball and surfing the internet. My kids were jumping off my daughter’s bed onto a pallet of pillows and blankets. All was right in the world…

My youngest son was too excited to wait for his turn; he pushed my older son. My older son rolled into my daughter. My daughter fell off the bed and whacked her knee cap on the bed rail.

Her knee swelled immediately and she cried and screamed for quite some time. Ice and ibuprofen did not seem to help. At 6:00 p.m. on Labor Day, I took my daughter to the emergency room.

We waited a long time after being check-in. The Emergency Room is busy on Labor Day.

My daughter was in pain, but her curiosity kept her busy with worry for every person who came through the ER doors. Eventually we were taken back to an exam room and she was evaluated by a Nurse Practitioner name Dana. Everyone treated my little girl with kindness and comfort. She was taken back for x-rays and handled with great concern. Fortunately, the x-ray revealed that her knee cap was not broken. The swelling was probably the result of a ligament strain.

A doctor joined Nurse Practitioner Dana and confirmed these results. Maggie was to have her leg splinted for a few days and then keep weight off of it until we could follow up with our pediatrician.

The nurses who cared for my daughter were busy and working hard, but took exceptional care to check on Maggie’s comfort. They even gave her lessons on how to use her new crutches. Finally, at 2:00 a.m. we were ready to be discharged. Before we left, Nurse Practitioner Dana stopped in to see if we needed anything else. She kindly provided an absence excuse and physical activity excuse for Maggie. But,she gave me the best gift I could have hoped for that night.

Nurse Practitioner Dana said, “Are you the Melanie Peters that writes the blog?”

My heart stopped. I knew I looked terrible. I knew I had probably been crabby. I just knew I had embarrassed myself some how.

I answered, “Yes, I have a blog called Intentergy.”

In my mind I prayed, “Please, Lord, let her like it.” I didn’t think I could take any criticism at that point in the night without crying.

Dana shared that she had connected with the story I wrote about my grandpa and his overalls. She said it made her think of her dad and granddad. I hugged her.

Her connection to my story and blog was a huge boost to my spirit that night. While I was there to seek help for my daughter, Dana gave me a healing reassurance that my efforts were not in vain.

While this post may seem a bit selfish on my part, its intent is to show how reaching out to someone can really make a sad situation brighter. My daughter has healed nicely and has fond memories of her emergency room experience. I am pretty sure I have caught up on some of the sleep I lost that night, but the greatest comfort was given when Dana took the time to reach out and share her appreciation for something that I work hard on.

If you find yourself in an instance where you can help someone heal or find comfort, take that opportunity. Put your energy into the intention of connecting with them and making their situation better. You will not only enlighten them but create a connection that can make you happy too.

Thank you , Dana!

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. Maggie is ready to compete in the Crutches Olympics. She is super fast on those things!