and brother-in-law, Dr. Matthew Carroll, he welcomed her back. “I have you scheduled to work with a surgeon you know well, Dr. Duane Gifford. His first surgery of the day is on the left kidney of a fifty-five-year-old woman.”
“I’ve assisted doctors in that kind of surgery many a time,” Breanna said.
As Dr. Carroll walked Breanna to the surgical unit on the second floor, hospital staff warmly welcomed her back. They entered the surgical unit, and Dr. Gifford approached them. “Welcome back, Nurse Brockman! I’m happy to have you assist me during the surgery.”
Dr. Carroll left to return to his office, and Dr. Gifford and Breanna prepared for surgery. “Our surgery scheduled after this one is an appendectomy on a seventeen-year-old boy,” Dr. Gifford said.
Breanna looked confident. “I’m ready, Doctor.”
The fifty-five-year-old woman was brought in on a cart, placed on the surgical table, and the surgery began.
During the operation, Breanna felt the excitement of being back, doing the medical work she so dearly loved, but she soon found that being on her feet at the side of the surgical table caused some pain in her spinal column. Not wanting to say anything to Dr. Gifford, she stayed right there and aided him competently, using all of her skills to do her best for the patient.
By the time the operation finished, Breanna’s pain caused her some weakness, and she was a bit dizzy. Again, she didn’t let on to Dr. Gifford. She got a brief rest before the second surgery began, but during the appendectomy, pain hit her spinal column once more.
After a while, as the pain was getting worse, a sheen of perspiration formed on Breanna’s brow. The dizziness became stronger. She struggled to do her job in assisting the surgeon but did not let on. However, as Dr. Gifford finished the operation and began stitching up the teenage boy’s incision and knowing her part of helping during the surgery was over, Breanna took a step back from the table, blinking.
Dr. Gifford looked up, noting the sheen of perspiration on her forehead and paleness of her face. “Breanna, are you all right?”
She looked him in the eye. “I—I’m all right, Doctor. J-just a bit weary and a little dizzy.”
Pointing to a nearby chair with his chin, Dr. Gifford said, “Go sit down over there, and I’ll be with you shortly.”
Breanna staggered dizzily to the chair and sat down.
S IX
N urse Brockman stayed on the chair, silently asking the Lord to give her strength and to stop her head from spinning. Within a few minutes, Dr. Gifford finished his work on the teenage boy, then smiled at Breanna as he headed for a nearby wooden counter where there was a large glass pitcher. “I’m going to get you a cup of water, Breanna.”
She returned the smile. “I appreciate that, Doctor.”
Seconds later, the doctor handed her a cup full of water. “I’m going out in the hall right now to see if I can get one of the orderlies to take that boy to his hospital room. I’ll be back shortly.”
Breanna swallowed a drink of water and nodded. “All right, Doctor.”
Dr. Gifford hurried out the door into the hall, letting the door close behind him.
While drinking more water, Breanna looked at the boy on the operating table. He was still under the anesthetic.
Less than five minutes had passed when Dr. Gifford came back through the door, glanced at the teenager who was still unconscious, and went to Breanna. “The water helping?”
“Yes, it is.”
Frowning, the doctor looked down at her. “It’s obvious that standing this long on your feet at the surgical table has been toomuch for you. You’d best not try it again for at least a few months.”
Breanna nodded. “I—I agree, Doctor.”
He smiled at her. “Good. The orderly will be coming to take our patient to his room in a few minutes. Right now I’ll take you to Dr. Carroll and let him know how you were affected by assisting me with these two surgeries.”
Dr. Gifford held
“I’ve assisted doctors in that kind of surgery many a time,” Breanna said.
As Dr. Carroll walked Breanna to the surgical unit on the second floor, hospital staff warmly welcomed her back. They entered the surgical unit, and Dr. Gifford approached them. “Welcome back, Nurse Brockman! I’m happy to have you assist me during the surgery.”
Dr. Carroll left to return to his office, and Dr. Gifford and Breanna prepared for surgery. “Our surgery scheduled after this one is an appendectomy on a seventeen-year-old boy,” Dr. Gifford said.
Breanna looked confident. “I’m ready, Doctor.”
The fifty-five-year-old woman was brought in on a cart, placed on the surgical table, and the surgery began.
During the operation, Breanna felt the excitement of being back, doing the medical work she so dearly loved, but she soon found that being on her feet at the side of the surgical table caused some pain in her spinal column. Not wanting to say anything to Dr. Gifford, she stayed right there and aided him competently, using all of her skills to do her best for the patient.
By the time the operation finished, Breanna’s pain caused her some weakness, and she was a bit dizzy. Again, she didn’t let on to Dr. Gifford. She got a brief rest before the second surgery began, but during the appendectomy, pain hit her spinal column once more.
After a while, as the pain was getting worse, a sheen of perspiration formed on Breanna’s brow. The dizziness became stronger. She struggled to do her job in assisting the surgeon but did not let on. However, as Dr. Gifford finished the operation and began stitching up the teenage boy’s incision and knowing her part of helping during the surgery was over, Breanna took a step back from the table, blinking.
Dr. Gifford looked up, noting the sheen of perspiration on her forehead and paleness of her face. “Breanna, are you all right?”
She looked him in the eye. “I—I’m all right, Doctor. J-just a bit weary and a little dizzy.”
Pointing to a nearby chair with his chin, Dr. Gifford said, “Go sit down over there, and I’ll be with you shortly.”
Breanna staggered dizzily to the chair and sat down.
S IX
N urse Brockman stayed on the chair, silently asking the Lord to give her strength and to stop her head from spinning. Within a few minutes, Dr. Gifford finished his work on the teenage boy, then smiled at Breanna as he headed for a nearby wooden counter where there was a large glass pitcher. “I’m going to get you a cup of water, Breanna.”
She returned the smile. “I appreciate that, Doctor.”
Seconds later, the doctor handed her a cup full of water. “I’m going out in the hall right now to see if I can get one of the orderlies to take that boy to his hospital room. I’ll be back shortly.”
Breanna swallowed a drink of water and nodded. “All right, Doctor.”
Dr. Gifford hurried out the door into the hall, letting the door close behind him.
While drinking more water, Breanna looked at the boy on the operating table. He was still under the anesthetic.
Less than five minutes had passed when Dr. Gifford came back through the door, glanced at the teenager who was still unconscious, and went to Breanna. “The water helping?”
“Yes, it is.”
Frowning, the doctor looked down at her. “It’s obvious that standing this long on your feet at the surgical table has been toomuch for you. You’d best not try it again for at least a few months.”
Breanna nodded. “I—I agree, Doctor.”
He smiled at her. “Good. The orderly will be coming to take our patient to his room in a few minutes. Right now I’ll take you to Dr. Carroll and let him know how you were affected by assisting me with these two surgeries.”
Dr. Gifford held
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