Touched by an Angel

by Unknown Author

24 years ago I was in labor with my first child. I had been labor for 3 weeks. Contractions were exactly 20 minutes apart during the day, and 5 minutes apart during the entire night. I was under 3 different doctors care in a medical clinic in rural Northern Illinois. My due date was September 10th. First trip on September 11, sent me home. Second trip to the hospital September 28th again merely sent me home.

October 1st was my third and final trip to the hospital to have my baby. I was so exhausted mentally and physically that I could remember only a few things from my birthing classes I had taken. Labor was very uncomfortable and a grueling experience and I was not fortunate enough to have a supportive husband by my side. Most of my labor was in my back.

This nurse kept coming in to check on me. I remember her in great detail to this day. She would touch my forehead and I would instantly feel calm. She would lean close to me to talk softly. She told me things to do and reminded me things I had learned from my class such as focal points, breathing, etc. She told me she knew how hard this was and that it would soon be over. Her mere touch was such a calmness I had never felt before. I know if it had not been for her I don't think I could of made it. I even lost some of my vision temporarly. She stayed with me on and off all night, as other nurses were coming in to check on me also.

October 2 at 2:30 pm they finally decided to do a cesarian. It was finally over. My daughter weighed 10 pounds and 5 ounces and was 23 inches long. A few days after surgery I wanted to thank her so much for all of her help and support. I ask the other nurses who she was. I described her over and over again and I continually recieved the same answer. There was no nurse such as that.

I thought it was a little strange and thought of her many times. I often wondered if she could of been an angel, but being that much at the end of my ultimate strength, I had no idea, did I imagine it? It was not until I was in the hospital and I was in another very difficult labor with my third child of which we lost early in the pregnancy. I was again in very difficult labor and started hemoraging.

They called in the emergancy surgical team in the middle of the night as I had to have surgery. I was reaching the same end of my ultimate strength and did not have much to hang on to. I tried to speak to my husband that was at the side of my bed to tell him that I was running out of strength. She touched my face again. On the other side of me was my nurse. She was there with me again. That was 12 years ago. I knew then that she was truely an angel. I feel that many of us have angels that help us when we are truly at the end of our "ultimate" strength. It is a most beautiful thing to be touched by an angel, for it removes all discomfort, fear and question.