StoryCorps at SHC: Wendy and Sarah Foad

Wendy Foad (WF): When they came to take you to the operating room there was a transporter that came to take you there. And he could see that I was obviously very nervous. And he just, he looked at me straight in the eye and he said, “It's gonna be fine. We're gonna take care of her. Don't worry." And then I felt fine. He talked to you all the way.

SF: Yeah. And I remember him being the one taking me back to my room afterwards, as well. It was really, it was very surreal because when they push you into the operating room, and you say goodbye, it's like, "This is it." This is it. (laughing) I could die here.

WF: But isn't it strange how that one person, who in your own mind you know that, that that it doesn't make any sense ...

SF: Right.

WF: But him just saying those things just was so calming.

SF: Comforting.

WF: I understand now so much more about how those little things make a difference.

WF: And it's completely irrational. It makes no sense. He has no clue what you have, how you're gonna be.

SF: Right.

WF: Whether everything is going to be okay, but I believed him.

SF: Yeah.

WF: Because I wanted to believe him and he made me feel so much better.

SF: Do you miss being a nurse? What do you miss?

WF: Yes. I, you know, what brings you into nursing in the first place is, is caring for people. And making a difference in people's lives and being able to comfort people with a touch. And so, by being further away then those things do change. But I realize as I went into leadership roles that the focus of my concern and, and who I cared for in my life was now the nurses themselves rather than the patients.

WF: Because if I can make an environment where nurses can thrive and do their best and have everything they need to do their job, then I'm still directly affecting patients and how they experience some of the most challenging times in their lives.

SF: Yeah. I always wanted to do something clinical, but I don't like blood.

WF: You don't like blood. (laughing)

SF: I just cannot do blood.

WF: No.

SF: But I really like, I like working in healthcare. I like that even though I'm not clinical, everyone who works here has a central purpose of helping others and helping patients. And it's really an honor to share that with you. I love you.

WF: Love you too.

SF: I feel like you're my best friend. You're the reason I wanted to come into healthcare. I just hope that someday I'll be a piece of what you are.

WF: Well, I appreciate that.

SF: You're like such an inspiration. And everything I do I just, I just want to make you proud.

WF: I'm so glad that you chose to come here. And, and I know that you'll do amazing things. And it doesn't have to be the same path that I took. And I think that's something that you need to free yourself from because I know that whatever you do you'll do great things.

Produced by Stanford Health Care with interviews recorded in collaboration with StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and share humanity's stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world www.storycorps.org

Sound Editor: Gabriel Maisonnave

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