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In my last post, I talked about the impact my gratitude journaling on Instagram made on a few lives. I decided, that for my 2-week stay at the hospital, I needed to find something to be grateful for! Two weeks is a long time to be in a hospital. And with the COVID-19 situation, outside visitors are still not welcome. Sharing my gratitude helped keep me in a positive headspace, bright state for all but one day of my stay. (There are a lot fewer people here on the weekends so, when Saturday hit, with grey skies and less energy, I felt it. Hard.)
The Impact, I Wasn’t Quite Ready For…
So, I’ve only been in the hospital overnight once… And that was back in May. All that I could gather from friends who’ve had more hospital experience than me was, “UGH! The food is the WORST!!” And I was going in for 2 weeks of hospital food… Greeaaaaat… But, much to my surprise, the food here is actually delicious! (And that’s coming from someone stuck on a low iodine diet AND with food allergies… My food options were incredibly limited.) But, I was going to make the best of it. Life’s what you make it… Remember?
I thought back to my time in the restaurant business… Did you know a consumer is 21% more likely to leave a bad review than a good review? Guys, did you read my last post? Stop with the negative energy, it impacts people more than you know! (And not in a good way!) Since I liked my meals at the hospital, I decided the world should be made aware that THE HOSPITAL FOOD AT NIH IS DELICIOUS!!
I pretty much ate my way through the entire low-iodine menus for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, and even created delicious meals out of menu elements that had me eating like I was in a restaurant! I documented all of my meals on my Instagram account for everyone to see.
But there was one post I made, that had an impact FAR greater than I could’ve ever imagined.
Oh, the PASTA-bilities of Making a Positive Impact!!
It all started with a craving… I had received my second of 2 Thyrogen injections and all of a sudden, I. Was. STARVING! I looked at the menu to create my dinner for the evening and there it was – pasta, I need it. I called down to order it and WOMP WOMP – the pasta they use is made in a facility that also produces pasta that contains eggs. Which means, this pasta could potentially be contaminated from shared equipment. The pasta was a no go.
Then the woman on the phone said, “hold on let me look at something real quick…” I held my breath. “We have a low protein elbow macaroni that is safe for your allergies AND low iodine diet, would you like me to get that for you?” YAS GIRL YAAASSSSS!!!! I was elated and boasting all about how wonderful she is for finding a solution for this insatiable craving that I (literally) never get.
And then it happened. Someone shared that post with the head of nutrition, who shared it with EVERYONE in the dietary/food service department. I find out a little later that the dietary team has been working for a little over a year to improve the food here at NIH, and, like what I’d experienced in restaurants, they RARELY ever get praised for their food or service. It turns out this was a MAJOR morale boost for the entire dietary/food service team.
A chef at NIH reached out, thanking me for posting about the food. Then I was contacted by a food service manager. She wanted to get some information to see if they could figure out who took my order that night so that she could be praised for her creative problem-solving! I asked that she please give the girl an air hug for me (ugh, COVID) because I was so grateful for her!
Planting Seeds of Joy and Positivity
After that, I made it a point to continue documenting the food, talking about my experiences with each person I spoke to, those taking my order and, those bringing my food to my room. It made me feel good to make everyone in this under-recognized group feel good! So to everyone in dietary and food service “Thank You” for all you do to keep the patients here well-fed and satisfied. Your hard work and dedication may fly under most peoples’ radar, but I hope my sincerest gratitude inspires more people to give you the thanks you deserve! I said it a few times during my stay, I wish I could throw you all a party! I’d love to meet the people I spoke to every day when I placed my order… You Matter SO Much at NIH! Don’t ever forget that!
The gratitude I have for the people in this hospital doesn’t stop at the dietary department! I’ve met and spoken with so many people here in the last 2 weeks that as my time here comes to an end, there are more people who deserve some recognition for the impact they’ve had on me during my time here:
More Gratitude to Go Around…
- Recreational Therapy, Shoutout to my new friend Andrea. Like I said in my Instagram post about her, I’m pretty sure if I still lived in this area, we’d be best friends. A fellow dog mom and Disney fanatic… The day I met her, she was even wearing the same shirt I wore the day before! I’m so grateful for our hours chatting and that she was able to score me a yoga mat, block, and foam roller for my room to help keep my dancer body from completely falling apart from hanging out in a hospital bed!
- Spiritual Care, Cantor Mike. I appreciate our chats about gratitude and the impact it can have on our spirits. When he heard about my little gratitude project on Instagram, he asked for more information and then proceeded to share it in a weekly meeting here with all the heads of the departments. (Two others in the meeting were already aware of my Instagram gratitude so they also spoke about it in the meeting.)
- My Unit Nurses, disclaimer: I definitely cannot remember every nurse I’ve had during my time here… I’ve been here for 2 weeks so there have been like a million people in and out of my room. But, I had a few of the same people throughout my stay so, To:
- Elizabeth, for having the same sense of humor and sarcasm, as well as our shared “appreciation” for Cincinnati staples! The applause you gave me after I “Bottoms Upped” my radiation iodine pill was the best thing ever! Oh, and for somehow scoring me the biggest lemon wedges ever while I was in isolation! Thank you!
- Rob, for making me laugh when radiology there was a mistake and everything would be pushed back unless they could get a hold of my endocrine team… “Radiology just called, they want you back down there… what’d you do wrong?” I cannot tell you how much that lightened my mood. I’m sorry that I couldn’t make you more useful, I hope you enjoyed the break I gave you.
- Susan, I can’t tell you how much your little ice breaker the first day I had you made me laugh! “Just checking, you haven’t had any sushi today, right?” I was ROLLING! I appreciate our food chats as I outwardly expressed my disdain for the stupid low-iodine diet and lack of stir-fry in my life. You keep doing you, man!
- Audrey, thank you for introducing me to the instant heat packs. I’m going to get myself a box to keep in my dance bag for this pesky hip of mine! I hope you get around to bingeing “Say I Do” on Netflix soon!
- And to everyone else thank you for taking care of me, chatting with me the whole time I was here. You made a 2-week stay in the hospital fly by masked smiles and for helping me laugh on the days I needed it the most! You made a major impact on me and I’m forever grateful.
- To the Radiology Team, I’m sorry that I ate sushi a few days before I started my low iodine diet… But I’m so grateful we were able to push past that.
- To the Housekeeping Team, I really enjoyed chatting with each of you every day! Thank you for keeping my room clean, even though I offered a few times to clean it for you!
- To my childhood friend Alex, a nurse in a different unit. It was so great catching up with you! Thank you for visiting me after your shift. It’s amazing how a familiar face can make an impact and brighten one’s spirits after a tough day.
- And last but not least to my Mom #2, LL. Thank you for everything. Without you, none of this would be possible. I love you to the moon and back!
My stay at NIH has come to an end. I’m forever grateful to everyone at here for making my 2 hospital stays positively memorable experiences. As we continue to manage my case, I hope the next time I return, COVID-19 is less rampant, so I can visit and hug the people I’ve met.
Stay Safe/Healthy, and Keep Being ROCKSTARS and Keep Making an Impact on Your Patients’ Lives!!
