Stormin' Norma

I keep thinking about this woman. Her name was Norma Batchelor. We called her "Stormin' Norma", during the war. She was an LPN at University Hospital's cardiac cath lab. Norma actually started cardiac cath lab nursing back in the 1960s...before radiation safety standards were in place, before LPNs were booted into nursing homes (which was a day nursing took a big loss,imho). Norma helped train many of our senior Cincinnati cardiologist. She had their respect. I recall when one cardiologists' father was dying in the cath lab, it was Norma he called for. She had so many sayings that stick with me today. My favorite is rooted from this typical scenario: The cath lab room is dark, the MD is struggling to select a coronary artery that doesn't fit into the "norm". He's getting frustrated with the catheter he's using and says "I need an Arani 2"... the latest and greatest new toy in the catheter world. Norma quietly goes and gets a "multipurpose" catheter, not what the doc asked for. The doc gets angry and says "I asked for an Arani, not a multi-purpose..... Norma leans over and says "I'm not gonna give ya' what ya' want. I'm gonna give ya' what ya' need. Now get that vessel!" And the doc would slide right into the vessel. I always feel like God talks to us like that. We are asking for things we want, he gives us what we need.
Another thing Norma did that was so right was she would pray with a patient if they were really scared before the cath. She'd be real clear with the patient as to what she was going to pray about. She'd tell the patient "I'm not gonna' pray for you 'cause you need it. I'm gonna pray for you cause you THINK you need it!" And the patient always laughed and calmed down.
Norma died of lymphoma, I submit from (early) years of radiation exposure. There was no victimization of her death. Her family received no compensation. But there are a handful of nurses and cardiologist who hold this great lady with very high respect. She's an unsung hero of Cincinnati cardiology that no one knows about. I take Norma's spirit with me when I enter a patient's room or when I pray for a patient. I cannot wait to hug her in heaven and I thought someone should write about an unsung hero.
"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. The world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes of each honest worker" ~ Helen Keller