Some Important Changes for Ann

Ann spent ten years working in the Operating Room at St. Luke’s.  During part of that time she served as head nurse for the OR.  Some things took place in the early nineties that moved her into a different direction.    She became concerned about “hammer toes” and underwent surgery, so that pins could be inserted in her toes to straighten them out.

During the time of her recovery from surgery, Elliott, Melanie, and Audrey came to visit us.  Since Ann was off, we drove them to Nashville, so they could spend time with Melanie’s parents.   On the way back, Ann was riding in the back seat of the car, so she could stretch her legs out.   I stopped at a fast food place to pick up something we could eat in the car.   When I got back in the car, I accidently brushed my hand over those pins.  That wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.  It didn’t gain me any husband points.

Then while she was recovering one of the pins actually fell out, although I doubt that my clumsiness caused it.   An orthopedist named Al Coates had done the surgery.   Ann had worked with him in surgery, but our children also went to school with his children, so the Coates we casual friends.   Al redid the surgery for nothing.  He said, “If anything is ever going to go wrong, it will be when you operate on a doctor, a nurse, or a colleague.”

Sometimes after that Ann tripped over some cables in the OR and damaged the cartilage in her knees.   Al operated again, but he told us that there was a significant amount of arthritis in that area, and that Ann would eventually need to work at something that would not require her to be on her feet all day.

Not too long after that she took some steps to change her working arrangements.  She cut back to part time employment at the hospital, and accepted another part time position, teaching nursing students at Kirkwood Community College.

She was also doing volunteer work for a local hospice program.  That was an incredibly fulfilling work, but of course it didn’t involve remuneration.

Ann was offered a position with an oncology group in Cedar Rapids, but after about four months, she and the physicians in the group agreed that it was not a good fit, and she left the group.   Ironically when she had been with the oncology group for about a month, the hospice group offered her a full time job.  The pay would have been good.  The working conditions were ideal, but at that point she felt she had to honor her commitment to the oncology group.  By the time her relationship with the oncology group, the hospice position was no longer open.

Ann was in her late fifties.  She was still a competent nurse, but she faced a daunting challenge in trying to find work.  She sought out some nursing openings in the local community, but each time she was told that she was overqualified.  Those who did the hiring were afraid she would find a better job and leave.   

That set of circumstance eventually resulted in our decision to leave Cedar Rapids, but I’ll have to tell that story later.