“I’m an RN. I’ve been in nursing for about a year. And let me tell you, it was a tough year to be a first-time nurse.

“I was working on a medical-surgical floor in a smaller hospital. We got to see a little bit of everything, and it kept you very busy. Our unit was the only one that they kept COVID free. But they would pull some of us to COVID units whenever they needed extra staff.

“That part was really challenging. I had patients who at the beginning of the day were not requiring oxygen. But by the end of the day, they were one step away from intubation. The progression was pretty scary.

“Whatever I may have thought my first year as a nurse was going to be like, it was not that. I’m 23, trying to figure out how to be an adult on my own. And now I’m thrown into taking care of people who are extremely sick. And they go to very sick, very quickly. I had to trust my gut and my education. It was a steep learning curve for sure.

“I also learned to rely on the staff around me. We all stuck together. It really became like a family. My co-workers, the charge nurses, and the managers, everybody was awesome. When you needed help, you could rely on your team members. If I had felt alone and that I couldn’t ask for help, that would have been terrifying. I had a team that I could ask any question, 1,000 questions, all day long. That’s what made it doable.

“As a new nurse, you want to show that you’re competent. But if you’re overconfident, you’re probably going to mess something up. I’d rather ask questions. When you see older, more experienced nurses ask the charge nurse about something, you feel comfortable as a new nurse asking questions. There’s no shame in doing that. You will never know it all. And you see something new every day. That was definitely true for me during my first year as a nurse.”

— Allie Marionneaux

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“I played volleyball in middle school and high school. Then I got a full ride to play at Lee College. It was my first year there, and we were at a tournament in the El Paso area when I landed wrong from blocking. I tore my ACL, meniscus and everything. I knew instantly.

“So I did the surgery. I did the rehab. I tried everything to get back into it. But I just knew it wasn’t going to be the same. I didn’t trust my knee enough to do the physical movements. I knew the sport was done for me.

“It was definitely upsetting. Being so young at the time, I thought my life was over. I wanted to eventually go into a four-year college program like my friends from our high school team. I really wanted to do volleyball as a full-time thing. But after blowing out my knee, I had to pick a different career.

“Right out of high school, I started working as a medical assistant at an OB-GYN office in Baytown. It’s the reason I decided to go into nursing. That and the fact that my mom has been a nurse for years. At the time of my injury, she was studying to become a nurse practitioner. She was constantly a role model to pursue a career in the medical field, and always encouraging me to do something big.

“I’m in nursing school at UTMB Galveston. It’s online right now, but hopefully we’ll go back to in-person soon. I’m still at the OB-GYN office, and I work alongside my mom. That’s been pretty cool.

“We really are best friends, so we work really well together. We mesh well. It’s like I know what she wants before she even wants it. Of course, we are mother-daughter, so sometimes we do butt heads. But for the most part, it’s been really nice.”

— Delany Boyd

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“I stopped working for a while because I was scared of all the COVID. But he did go to work. Maybe it was there that he got sick. Then I got it, too.

“I didn’t have any problems. So I just took care of him. He went to the hospital emergency room two times. He had a high fever for 14 days. That was the worst part. After that he was fine, but he felt so tired. So he stayed home for a few months. The doctor said it would be better for him.

“Now he’s back to work. I’m back at work. We hope everything is going to be all right.

“Our daughter, Guadalupe, is a nurse in the COVID unit at Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital. It’s now an IMCU/COVID unit due to the acuity of the patients in this current surge.

“She finished school, and has been working there a few months. At first, it was so hard to see her leave home and go to work there. She’s working with COVID patients, so we’ve been worried about her a lot.

“But she already had the vaccine. She has lots of protection with masks and shields and clothes. They change and change all day. So I think she’s fine. She looks happy. She prays every day about the people who are sick, and about us because she worries about us, too.

“Sometimes I think she’s going to be so sad when she’s back at home. But no. She says, ‘Mom, I’m so happy to be helping people.’ I’m so proud of her. And I pray for her.”

— Fanny Zepeda

Related:

• Love takes them from Mexico to U.S.

The post Nurse daughter caring for COVID patients appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I got my CNA [certified nursing assistant] license and started working at an all-boys CPS [Child Protective Services] facility. I went in there with a good mental state a year ago. I thought I could handle it and make a difference. But it didn’t work out.

“These kids who had been abused began abusing me. They would hit on us, punch us, bite us, spit on us. I kind of just dealt with it for a while. When our facility was hit with COVID, I had to stay there with everyone. That was a lot to handle. The kids didn’t understand why we weren’t moving anywhere, like not going to school. So they did everything possible to abuse us as caretakers.

“After a 14-year-old hit me, I called the cops. But they didn’t do anything. There was no parenting and no consequences for these kids. That’s when I was like, I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.

“Now I work for a health care provider, taking care of the elderly who can’t do things on their own. I go to their houses and help with things like baths, preparing food, and making sure they take their medicine.

“It can be challenging in some cases. I took care of a lady in hospice who just passed the other day. She was 91. She told me that her life fulfillment was complete. She had no regrets. She was ready for God to take her. Being that a lot of people are afraid of death, I thought that was so interesting. Because I was her care provider, I’m going to her funeral.

“I also work with military veterans and others who have seen a lot and experienced so much in life. I think I can learn some life lessons from them that will help me as an adult. Plus, it just feels nice to help them. When I enter my car after being at someone’s home, it feels like I really accomplished something important.”

— James Rodgers

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“I’m thinking about officially quitting nursing. I’m just tired. I’ve been at it for 43 years. I started in doctors’ offices in hospitals. Since then, I’ve done everything known to mankind.

“I worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice at their women’s prison farm in Texas City. I was a case manager at UT Medical Branch in Galveston. I’ve run two adult daycare centers, which was my favorite job. And 12 of my years in nursing were in psych. Harris County Psychiatric Center had a position open in admissions, and they needed somebody pretty quick. So I thought, what the heck. I’ll give it a try. Oh, man, it was something else.

“When I started, guys would come in wearing aluminum caps. They said it was keeping the government and satellites from zapping their heads. Every year we’d get a visit from a guy who told us he was Tupac Shakur, and he needed to be admitted. We saw a lady who claimed to be the mother of Michael Jackson’s daughter. She said, ‘Michael Jackson was my husband.’

“There were times when people were truly psychotic. But typically, it was all drug-induced stuff. One time a woman came in from the streets and said, ‘I’m a vampire. I feel like sucking blood tonight. So I thought to be safe, I’d come here.’ I tried breaking her. I acted all dumb and said, ‘I remember when I was in nursing school, we learned there were like three main types of blood.’ She said, ‘No, there’s four.’ And I said, ‘Right, there’s four. So do they all taste alike?’ I mean, I tried to get her to crack. But she was into it. She was really character driven. I tried to get her to a place where I could tell this was all just so much hooey. It was during the time of those ‘Twilight’ movies. The work there could be pretty challenging, but I found it fascinating.

“Now, after all these years — I graduated from Lee College’s nursing program in 1978 — I’m just tired. I think I’m ready to try something else besides nursing. But I’m not quite sure what. I’m still curious about stuff. I’m not ready to say, ‘OK, I’m done. Give me the first shovelful.’ I just haven’t found what I want to do with the rest of my life yet.”

— Jan White

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“My daughter was on Instagram or YouTube, and she was watching this video showing someone utilizing a homemade mask. She came to me and said, ‘Let’s do this, Mom. We can do this.’ I didn’t have much fabric on hand. So I called up a friend who works on a lot of projects, and she was able to bring me some extra fabric. We found a pattern online, and we started making medical masks for anybody in need.

“I posted about it on Facebook. Just through that network of social media, I’ve been connecting with all sorts of people. Because the current supply of masks is so low, we’ve had a huge outreach from local medical professionals: respiratory therapists, nurses in assisted living facilities, and even a nurse working seven 12s at a prison right now. There’s a shortage of masks not just in the ERs, but across the entire medical platform.

“Those that I’ve spoken with are really welcoming our masks. For a lot of them, the masks that they’re issued may have to last all shift. So they’re going to wear our masks over the issued ones as an added layer of protection.

“We’re trying to spend a few hours a day working on the masks. My son even sewed a few straight seams the other day, and he wants to learn how to use my sewing machine. My daughter has kind of taken the reins for the project. She’s really involved in service. She loves to volunteer her time when she can. She isn’t one who wants to sit idly and do nothing. So during this time when we’re having to stay home because of the coronavirus, it’s kept her pretty busy. I’m really proud of her. Plus, it’s been fun for me to work with her on it.”

— Holly Carraway

Holly and her daughter, Cori, also were asked to help make masks for Chambers County Sheriff’s Office and Mont Belvieu Police Department. Anyone interested in getting the pattern can contact Holly on Facebook.

The post Mask makers provide extra layer of protection appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I’m a registered nurse. I work the ICU. I’ve been doing it for five years now. And I love it. Because being a nurse embodies some of the same principles as being Spiderman.

“I tell people that I have two uniforms, and that’s all I wear. When I’m not wearing my scrubs, I’m in my Spiderman suit. Either way, I’m helping people. I’m changing lives.

“That’s the way I try to consider this whole thing. If I can be a hero in some way for someone else, it’s the best feeling in the world.”

— Kelvin Gray

Learn more about Kelvin and his Spiderman alter ego on the Facebook page, MrGlass FromBaytown.

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• Spiderman and daughter take positivity to the streets

• Divorced dad takes fatherhood very seriously

The post No matter the outfit, he strives to be a hero appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“I gave birth to my son in 2013. A couple months after that, my aunt had a stroke. There was no one available to help her get through the physical therapy, bring her to doctor’s appointments, sit with her, and make sure she was taking her medications. She was partially paralyzed on her left side. So she couldn’t drive. She couldn’t pick up a lot of things. She had trouble walking. She needed someone to help her with all that. And that person was me.

“I became her caregiver for about four months. It was pretty challenging. I was this new mom, taking care of my baby and my aunt at the same time. He was with me when I drove into Houston to take her to physical therapy three times a week, and back and forth to doctor’s appointments. To be honest, I didn’t really know what I was doing. For both of them.

“I remember thinking, what would my mom do if she was in this situation? That inspired me to do what I had to do. My mom is this nurse who has taken care of people for years. So I kind of imitated her, and that’s how we got through it.

“I was breastfeeding my son at the time. My aunt gave me the nickname, Meals on Wheels, because he was always hungry. There were times when she needed help getting to the bathroom or doing something else, and I would have to put him down for a minute. Of course he would cry. I’d be like, I’m so sorry, but my aunt needs me more right now. There were moments where I had to take a break and just breathe. Then I would drive home and get ready to do it all over again early the next morning.

“My son is 6 years old now. He is doing fine. My aunt is 80-something, and she is doing fine, off her medications and living well. We are all OK.”

— Maureen St. louis Nelson

Maureen is writing a book, “Through Their Eyes.” It will highlight stories of people in the health care profession and others who are caregivers. If you are in one of those roles and would like to share your experiences for the book, contact Maureen at bluemsnelson@gmail.com.

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• She’s surrounded by a family of caregivers

• Poem about lost pets becomes children’s book

The post ‘Meals on Wheels’ met caregiver challenge appeared first on The Baytown Project.

“Everyone in my immediate family, except for me and one of my older brothers, is in health care. My mother has been a nurse for the elderly for 50-plus years. My two older sisters are nurses. I have a niece who just graduated from Prairie View A&M with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. My sister-in-law is a nurse. And I have a brother in health care on the business side. So I’m surrounded by people who have a passion for taking care of others.

“My mom is 70 years old, and she’s still at it. She’s a live-in nurse right now, Monday through Friday, for an 85-year-old diabetic who has Alzheimer’s. I asked her why she does it. She said it’s mainly for two reasons. One, her birthday is 9-11. Because of the 911 emergency thing, she feels that she was born to do something in the medical field. Two, she just loves people. She loves taking care of people when they can’t help themselves. She has always felt like this is her calling and her blessing to others, and she is an amazing person to do it.

“In my younger days, I didn’t quite acknowledge all she was doing as a single parent. Now that I’m a mother of two, I realize what a commitment that was to not only take care of us, but to also take care of so many others as a nurse.

“My mom never complains. If she has an issue, you would never have a clue. When she is with her patients, it’s all about them. It’s all about what they need and how she can help them. She’s just a big inspiration to me.”

— Maureen St. louis Nelson

Maureen’s mother and her husband, who was a caregiver for his grandparents, inspired her to write a book. It will highlight stories of people in the health care profession and others who are caregivers. If you are in one of those roles and would like to share your experiences for the book, email Maureen at bluemsnelson@gmail.com.

Related:

• ‘Meals on Wheels’ met caregiver challenge

• Poem about lost pet becomes children’s book

The post She’s surrounded by a family of caregivers appeared first on The Baytown Project.

While keeping an eye on his adventurous 2-year-old daughter as she climbed the playground equipment, this young dad reflected on his career and family life.

“I work as a nurse in the ICU. Since we have a lot more sicker patients there, it can be a little intense at times. But you get used to it, and you just care for them the best you know how. When I’m not working, I like hanging out with my daughter. She has a pretty good imagination. She likes to pretend to dance and sing. She probably gets that from her mom. I would say my biggest challenge is adapting to being a parent. It can be pretty challenging at times. The hardest part is just trying to balance everything and making time for the important stuff. I think we’re doing OK so far. We just want her to grow up and do what she wants to do in life.”

— Tim Bui

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