Nurse Cameron

What happened at midnight that night is something I only know about because Jason told me about it later. But, it is one of the biggest blessings of the whole story.

My nurse was named Cameron, and I automatically liked her. She was so sensitive to the situation and treated me and Jason both with empathy and genuine care. She answered all of my questions honestly and accurately, and I never felt like I was a bother to her.

If the first round of Cytotec went well, she was to administer the second dose around midnight. Well, because I had opted for a sleeping pill earlier, I completely slept through that second dose.

Jason, however, awoke just enough to hear what was going on, but remained on his cot while she worked. He did listen though. And here's the gist of what he heard Nurse Cameron say to me as I slept -

Now Sweetie, I know you've already had one dose of Cytotec earlier. And I know you've also had two ultrasounds also. But, because I'm the one giving you the drug this time, and because I know what this drug does, I'm just going to double-check everything once more for my own piece of mind.

[Here's where she put the Doppler on my stomach and listened for heartbeats.]

I can hear your heartbeat. [pause] And it sounds like that is in fact the only heartbeat I can find. I didn't expect to hear a fetal heartbeat. I just had to check anyway before I give you this drug. [she gives me the drug] Now call me if you need me or if the pain starts to get too bad...

Jason was very touched by that extra, special double-check from Nurse Cameron, and when he told me about it later, I was too. She could have come in my room, given me the meds and waltzed out without so much as a second thought. That was her job after all. Come in at midnight. Give me the drugs. But she didn't see her orders as a chance to do her job. She saw them as a matter of life and death.

There is always the chance God could come through with a last-minute miracle. But with two ultrasounds and Nurse Cameron's last-minute verification, I'll never have to second-guess what happened that night. God ended the life of our little boy. Not us. Not the nurses or the doctors. Not some evil killing drug.

God.

So thank you, Nurse Cameron, for knowing the difference between life and death, and making your rounds.