You are beautiful inside & out, Lauren! I love that you don’t hide your scar! You are a hero & have survived so much! I have small scars from chicken pox & I don’t hide them either when it comes to wearing swimsuits. Loved this post!
This is a beautiful story because of your resilience, Lauren. I'd consider the scar a badge of honor as well! That's just what I told my electrophysiologist when he told me for the third time that I might have some scarring from my Loop Monitor Recording implant. (Tiny compared with yours;-). Stay healthy, stay strong. You are the miracle!
Thank you, Sheri!! ☺️🤗. You are so kind. I love your positivity and ability to see that a scar is nothing more than a reminder of our strength and it usually has a good story behind it. I hope you wear your scar proudly! ❤️
scars are part of our journey. I was a cardiothoracic intensive care nurse so I know exactly what you're speaking of. Thank God, your life was saved and people don't even understand the recovery not even what people see on the outside but the emotional and psychological recovery of going through something like that. You are amazing. I love what you wrote and honor your journey. Thank you for sharing 🤗💕🙏
I respect you very much for being a cardio thoracic ICU nurse. That is a tough job!! It shows me that you are not only extremely intelligent but also very strong, caring, and full of empathy. Thank you so much for mentioning the emotional and mental struggles that accompany a physical scar. That is so important. I appreciate how insightful you are and can’t wait to check out your work! 🤗
thank you yes I worked intensive care units for a huge portion of minor 30 year career. I also worked Neuro and surgical ICU also worked crisis stabilization units and and hospice for a short period of time so I've seen a lot and people really don't understand the emotional components behind it and that's why I'm here not to just speak about the medical side of it, but what stress does to us because it is a killer and it's not so silent and also holistic means to address these things so we can do everything we can to prevent getting into those situations. But absolutely sometimes those interventions have to be taken. Long story short my mom almost died in 2021 based on some incompetent doctors, but the reason we were in the ICU was because of Eliquis and she started throwing clots throughout her body and we had to do a pair of cardio window to save her life and then a centesis so bringing her back home and trying to work for the VA and community care from home because it was during Covid I couldn't give her the care that I felt she needed so I walked away from my career but now I'm able to do it online and help so many other people I just love it and you know anything I can do to help is it's actually my calling. It's what I was called to do in. The funny thing is Lauren is that I'm severely afraid of hospitals and it's gotten worse since I've worked in them so it was only by God's grace and me focusing on the patient needs over my feelings that got me through almost 3 decades of doing it 🙏
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I hope your mother is doing well now. We all have a unique story of how we end up writing. I, too, was a registered nurse, but I worked mostly in the bone marrow transplant unit, oncology, and home health. When I started having all of these health issues, especially open heart surgeries and then losing my eye, I had to take a step back from nursing. I wasn’t physically strong enough to perform all of my nursing duties, and I lost my confidence after my eye was removed. Thankfully, I found freelance health writing. I love it because I can reach so many more people through writing than I ever could through nursing. And now, after being a patient for the past few years, I can relate more to what people are going through and what they really want answers to.
It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kathleen. I would love it if we could support each other as nurses. I’m excited to check out your writing because I’ve always been interested in the emotional and psychological effects that surgeries and illnesses have on patients. What a great topic.
mom is 86 and things aren't getting any better, especially after the CVA and fem-tib bypass. Let's just say every day is precious.
And absolutely, let's support each other 100%. if you wanna recommend each other if you feel like it's appropriate, I do I feel like we talk about some of the same things from different angles of course and some are very similar so let's do it if you're on board with it 😉
The double standard is so real. I remember this very pretty young girl from high school who had a disfigured arm from birth and all the boys couldn't look past it and see how beautiful she really was. But the guys who had scars from dirt bike accidents were heralded as "badass"
Thanks for sharing, Tyler. Yes, the double standard is awful!!! If you're a woman with a scar, you're ugly or disfigured. If you're a man with a scar, you're a cool, tough guy! So unfair.
I always see the good in people and I always find something that makes them attractive you know and it could be what someone else calls a defect or a whatever they wanna label it but that's what makes them so unique and so beautiful and that's how I look at things. Do you have the address addresses of those boys? 😂
Isn’t it funny how people often don’t like anything that reminds them that they’re getting older, or of health problems and how fragile life can be. But by facing and acknowledging these things, we can make the most of the time we have.
you're right Alan and the thing is we need to look at the positive side or the advantages of I like to call it maturing in age rather than getting older I mean the wisdom that come with that the age spots I mean, those are wisdom spots. it's so much lost in our culture, especially here in America. I see it in other cultures where the mature and age are very well respected, and they may even be the top in the hierarchy
I agree, Alan. I know nobody wants to look older but honestly, I've never been happier or more confident and comfortable in my own skin. If I have to look a little older to mentally feel better, I'll take it! I embrace my scars because they remind me of how strong I am and how lucky I am to still be here. Thanks for responding! I appreciate your comment.
You are beautiful inside & out, Lauren! I love that you don’t hide your scar! You are a hero & have survived so much! I have small scars from chicken pox & I don’t hide them either when it comes to wearing swimsuits. Loved this post!
You are so kind!!! I’m so happy you don’t hide your scars, either!! They are just a reminder of how strong we are. They should be celebrated.
This is a beautiful story because of your resilience, Lauren. I'd consider the scar a badge of honor as well! That's just what I told my electrophysiologist when he told me for the third time that I might have some scarring from my Loop Monitor Recording implant. (Tiny compared with yours;-). Stay healthy, stay strong. You are the miracle!
Thank you, Sheri!! ☺️🤗. You are so kind. I love your positivity and ability to see that a scar is nothing more than a reminder of our strength and it usually has a good story behind it. I hope you wear your scar proudly! ❤️
I can't help but think of the quote "every scar tells a story". Your story is your medicine. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks so much for reading, Kathy! I appreciate your lovely comment!
scars are part of our journey. I was a cardiothoracic intensive care nurse so I know exactly what you're speaking of. Thank God, your life was saved and people don't even understand the recovery not even what people see on the outside but the emotional and psychological recovery of going through something like that. You are amazing. I love what you wrote and honor your journey. Thank you for sharing 🤗💕🙏
I respect you very much for being a cardio thoracic ICU nurse. That is a tough job!! It shows me that you are not only extremely intelligent but also very strong, caring, and full of empathy. Thank you so much for mentioning the emotional and mental struggles that accompany a physical scar. That is so important. I appreciate how insightful you are and can’t wait to check out your work! 🤗
thank you yes I worked intensive care units for a huge portion of minor 30 year career. I also worked Neuro and surgical ICU also worked crisis stabilization units and and hospice for a short period of time so I've seen a lot and people really don't understand the emotional components behind it and that's why I'm here not to just speak about the medical side of it, but what stress does to us because it is a killer and it's not so silent and also holistic means to address these things so we can do everything we can to prevent getting into those situations. But absolutely sometimes those interventions have to be taken. Long story short my mom almost died in 2021 based on some incompetent doctors, but the reason we were in the ICU was because of Eliquis and she started throwing clots throughout her body and we had to do a pair of cardio window to save her life and then a centesis so bringing her back home and trying to work for the VA and community care from home because it was during Covid I couldn't give her the care that I felt she needed so I walked away from my career but now I'm able to do it online and help so many other people I just love it and you know anything I can do to help is it's actually my calling. It's what I was called to do in. The funny thing is Lauren is that I'm severely afraid of hospitals and it's gotten worse since I've worked in them so it was only by God's grace and me focusing on the patient needs over my feelings that got me through almost 3 decades of doing it 🙏
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I hope your mother is doing well now. We all have a unique story of how we end up writing. I, too, was a registered nurse, but I worked mostly in the bone marrow transplant unit, oncology, and home health. When I started having all of these health issues, especially open heart surgeries and then losing my eye, I had to take a step back from nursing. I wasn’t physically strong enough to perform all of my nursing duties, and I lost my confidence after my eye was removed. Thankfully, I found freelance health writing. I love it because I can reach so many more people through writing than I ever could through nursing. And now, after being a patient for the past few years, I can relate more to what people are going through and what they really want answers to.
It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kathleen. I would love it if we could support each other as nurses. I’m excited to check out your writing because I’ve always been interested in the emotional and psychological effects that surgeries and illnesses have on patients. What a great topic.
mom is 86 and things aren't getting any better, especially after the CVA and fem-tib bypass. Let's just say every day is precious.
And absolutely, let's support each other 100%. if you wanna recommend each other if you feel like it's appropriate, I do I feel like we talk about some of the same things from different angles of course and some are very similar so let's do it if you're on board with it 😉
Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful comment
The double standard is so real. I remember this very pretty young girl from high school who had a disfigured arm from birth and all the boys couldn't look past it and see how beautiful she really was. But the guys who had scars from dirt bike accidents were heralded as "badass"
Thanks for sharing, Tyler. Yes, the double standard is awful!!! If you're a woman with a scar, you're ugly or disfigured. If you're a man with a scar, you're a cool, tough guy! So unfair.
I always see the good in people and I always find something that makes them attractive you know and it could be what someone else calls a defect or a whatever they wanna label it but that's what makes them so unique and so beautiful and that's how I look at things. Do you have the address addresses of those boys? 😂
That's a beautiful way to look at the world, Kathleen! I wish everyone would think that way! <3
Isn’t it funny how people often don’t like anything that reminds them that they’re getting older, or of health problems and how fragile life can be. But by facing and acknowledging these things, we can make the most of the time we have.
you're right Alan and the thing is we need to look at the positive side or the advantages of I like to call it maturing in age rather than getting older I mean the wisdom that come with that the age spots I mean, those are wisdom spots. it's so much lost in our culture, especially here in America. I see it in other cultures where the mature and age are very well respected, and they may even be the top in the hierarchy
I like the idea of calling it maturing. (Especially now I’m approaching my late fifties.)
I agree, Alan. I know nobody wants to look older but honestly, I've never been happier or more confident and comfortable in my own skin. If I have to look a little older to mentally feel better, I'll take it! I embrace my scars because they remind me of how strong I am and how lucky I am to still be here. Thanks for responding! I appreciate your comment.
“I wanted to follow that up with a “LIKE YOU,”— my thoughts exactly! How rude!
People are so petty.
I know, right?!?! People can be such jerks without even realizing it. It’s annoying and sad!