Hospital slumber party

My kids thought it was a big slumber party.

They were tucked into air mattresses on the floor of the surgical waiting room at Bay Medical, along with other families who had come to ride out the hurricane at the hospital.

I was a nurse on Team A and required to work before and during the hurricane. 

One of my concerns was the safety of my family.       

If I knew they were safe I could focus on taking care of patients so my mom, husband and two kids came to ride out the storm with me at the hospital.

During our morning staff meeting our director said “This is bad y’all. This is a big one.”

In that moment I realized the severity of the situation.

As the winds picked up and windows blew out.

We quickly moved patients, IV poles, monitors and necessary equipment into the halls.

We could feel the building move. Water began pouring in from the walls. Insulation was being blown in from the vents. The pipes in sinks made the most eerie noises and windows continued to shatter. 

There was a constant paging of doctors, warnings of tornadoes and updates about damage heard over the radios and speakers.

Then over the loud speaker I heard “Fire on the second floor.”

My heart sank.

My kids were on the second floor.

I continued to care for my patients while envisioning the worst.

After 30 agonizing minutes I was able find my family. They were riding out the storm in the nurse’s station.

Those few hours were a blur of fear and unknown. Taking care of my patients was a welcome distraction.

That night we slept on the same air mattresses but this time the floor was covered with water.

I kept replaying the wild day over in my mind. Wondering if we had a house to return to. 

My hurricane shift was surreal. Like something out of a movie.

My co-workers were amazing. Especially the kitchen staff. Even during the storm no one went hungry.

We all kept doing what was needed while our world was being destroyed around us. Our patients were amazing! They remained calm and kind throughout it all.

We all became very close in those stressful hours.

My two children seemed unfazed by the storm in the days and weeks that followed. It wasn’t until school started that my normally happy, confident and brave son cried every day.

Not just in the morning before school but throughout the day as well.

He just said he missed his family.

Even though our house was okay and we didn’t suffer any major losses, he was affected.

Two months after the storm he brought me a picture he drew and said “I drew your hospital.”

He included the staff and patients as well as the water on the floor and the speaker with its constant reports and warnings. I think he is finding a creative outlet to deal with his emotions.

We have survivors’ guilt.

When people ask how my house fared I say it is livable.

Even though it looks almost untouched.

I avoid answering the question from others about if I still had a job at Bay Medical knowing that so many hundreds were let go. 

We took in hurricane animals trying to do something to help.

Our family now has a new a cat and a puppy.

The best thing that has come out of the storm for me is my renewed faith that there is good in most people. The way this town came together and the outpouring of love and help from people states away is amazing.  

I love this city and hope that as we rebuild, we can make it modern without losing its history and what makes this area special.