Here’s to the Legacy of the Greatest Generation!

Hoping this newsletter finds you and your family well and looking forward to warmer and drier days! The Cape has had its fill of rain, so here’s hoping Mother Nature takes a turn and shines her sun for at least more than a week!

With Memorial Day observance this Monday and thinking of all those lost to us in war, I tell a story of a recent personal experience and how those involved are the seeds of The Greatest Generation  -  A generation that gave so much of themselves to their families and our country. It is a day of sadness, yet also hope.

My husband, Jay suffered a heart attack in April which led to him needing open heart bypass surgery. When we arrived at the ER, the scene was organized chaos. The first nurse that was in charge of Jay was named Nicole....young, with kids at home, working the 3-3 shift, took great care, calmly made sure everything happened that needed to happen while also looking after others in the ER. I remember looking around thinking everyone who worked there had a role and somewhat of a symphony was playing out. I was in awe of the multitasking that was streaming live right in front of me – most importantly, the dedication of these nurses.

Once we knew we had to go to the Beth Israel Deaconess Klarman Building in Boston, it was a waiting game for an ICU bed to open, wondering if today was the day that we were going to be transported. The wait was five days. The nurses at each shift were, again, professional, focused, personable and caring. I was in awe.

Jay finally gets an ICU bed in Boston and it’s go time. The BI Deaconess Klarman Building is a site to see. Everything new - all with donations from local families. Most, if not all, of the names proudly displayed on each floor and elevator were Jewish. You feel the gratitude, love, and respect oozing through the walls in the building. I was in awe again. All of the nurses that were on the pre-op floor were what we were used to seeing: bubbly, smart, relaxed, yet focused and always professional. I was completely taken aback by their abilities. And I never worried.

The worry came shortly after surgery when family was allowed to go see Jay. I stepped in the ICU room and he actually looked like he was in a coma, or worse, teetering on death. I’ve never seen so many tubes coming out of a human body. And there were two nurses on either side of him, working nonstop with their hands, doing things with wires and tubes, and looking like they were composers-not nurses. But they were keeping him alive. And while I was standing there, standing back a bit, the head nurse turns to me and without stopping her hands says, “He’s doing great!” I was in awe. And wanted to vomit! I went back a bit later after the breathing tubes were out, and the nurse could see on my face that I was clearly worried. Jay was alive, but until he started talking and was fully awake, I couldn’t relax.

The nurse gave me the phone number to the floor so I could call anytime during the night to check on him. I called around midnight. A young voice came on the phone and said that Jay was doing really well. After we chatted, she wanted to say one more thing before we hung up. She said, “He wanted me to tell you that he loves you and that he’s comfortable.”  I wanted to cry. But I was so relieved. I asked about the night shift nurse the next day to my husband (who was sitting up in a chair the next day!) and he told me she had just graduated from college and was actually from Franklin, MA. So a 23 year old kid, an ICU nurse, was taking care of my husband. To me, an Angel in disguise.  I was in awe.

We are lucky to have the most brilliant surgeons here in Boston. But our nurses?  I saw firsthand that they are indeed The Greatest Generations’ legacy....courageous, brave, hardworking, loyal, generous, and caring!

America, we are going to be OK. God Bless our Nurses! And God Bless the families that donate funds so places like the Beth Israel Deaconess Klarman Building can save many lives.  Our family thanks you all from the bottom of our hearts.

Until next time,

Debbie

P.S.  Jay is healing very well and is counting the days until he can return to the golf course!!