Take Time to Smell the Roses

My story begins 3 years ago. Like most of us, I dove into my job, giving 100% all of the time. I worked in the Emergency Department in Everett where the volume and pace is truly amazing. We often would neglect our basic needs just to provide care for the patient, i.e. missing breaks and rest periods, not using the bathroom when needed. Healthy eating was usually out of the question - you ate whatever and whenever you could. I noticed that I was getting more and more fatigued after a 12-hour shift, but ignored it. This went on for almost a year. Well, long story short, I became suddenly quite ill and was hospitalized. I was in complete renal failure! The next few weeks were a whirlwind of testing and preparation of dialysis. In the end I was one of the lucky ones, I found a perfect living non-related donor and after a brief period of nightly home dialysis, I received a kidney transplant. What I've learned from this and what I would like to say to eveyone else is, First, take care of yourself! if we are sick we cannot help those we want to. Eat healthy, get lots of rest, keep an open and clear mind. We work in a stress-filled and fast-paced environment, but take time to smell the roses!