Make an Impact

My presentation in Cape Girardeau was yesterday and it went pretty well! Everyone there said I did amazing, but for some odd reason I was a little more nervous than times before and it felt it didn't go as smooth. BUT the day was a success! Half the room or more were respiratory therapy students, and I got to have a heart to heart with them and encourage them not to get into the field for a paycheck, but to become a therapist for the right reason, to change people's lives. To help people and make a positive impact on them. I tried to give them an idea of not only how important this is, but that it really happens. That RT's, RN's, MD's, people everywhere can make a positive impact on someones life so much so that they'll never be the same!

Take me for example. There's this RT, his name is G.W. I call him G-dub! He took care of me on my first admission to the hospital when I was 18. I know I am blessed to have never been admitted before age 18. I wasn't taking care of myself though. G-dub wasn't afraid to point out the obvious and help me realize how blessed I am to have never been admitted. He really motivated me to start doing my treatments.

I only saw G-dub that one time, but never forgot him. Fast forward 4 years, and I got my first RT job at Barnes-Jewish on nights. Guess who my supervisor was...... yup, G-dub! I recognized him from the get go. Once I told him my story he remembered me, and went right back to busting my chops about my lack of doing treatments. I was doing them more frequently at this point but not daily. He would call me in his office every shift to ask if I did them or not and to check in with me to see how I was doing. He cared.

We became good buddies, and I told him when I was going to propose to Monica. He was ecstatic for us, but pointed out that my inconsistent treatment regimen had to stop and become a daily routine. He was the first to open my eyes to the fact that I would soon be responsible for my wife's well-being and I needed to have my own well-being under control first. It was a HUGE eye-opener. He cared enough to say it. Let me add that G-dub did indeed bust my chops, however, he could always tell what my mood was and whether to bust em bust em, or go easy and encourage me. He was way more than a supervisor, he made a HUGE positive impact on my life, and I haven't been the same since.

I saw G-dub at the conference yesterday. It was awesome to see him again. Guess what he did while we caught up? Busted my chops! hahaha! They needed busting. I woke an hour earlier than  normal today to do my treatments. Making sure that I'd get 2 sets of treatments in today. And I will continue to do that. Why? Cause G-dub made an impact on me a long time ago and I know he's looking out for me. We had a broment, and he told me I needed to be doing my treatments twice a day with exercise, not once. He's also working on helping me get an IPV! If you've never used one I suggest looking into it! They're are awesome for moving that "Marlboro pudding" (as one of my patients called it) out of your lungs! There's a new portable IPV unit out. Looks to be a game changer, lol! G-dub's a believer and thinks it will significantly increase my PFT's so I say, Hey, Let's do it! :)

Has anybody made ever made a life-changing impact on you? Have you impacted somebody's life? You most definitely have the ability to! Stay positive and be an encouragement to the people around you and people you meet! You never how you'll change someone's life by simply caring! Even if you only meet them once...