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samara's avatar

I love your weaving of the clinical, the poetic, the hilarious, the traumatic: the true.

So many good lines, but this one made me laugh:

"Nurse Solena: exhausted, victorious, questioning reality.

Universe: still rude."

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Solena's avatar

samara—you got it. you really did. the absurdity and the ache, the exhaustion and the half-jokes that are actually full cries for help. thank you for naming the thread that ties it all together: the truth.

and yes—nurse solena remains in spiritual combat with the universe daily. spoiler: the universe still has the audacity

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samara's avatar

really beautiful work, love all the threads. here for the range.

yep that rotter always has to have the last laugh; but persevere nonetheless nurse solena !

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BellyLines's avatar

When I was reading the introduction to this for a moment I thought you were talking about motherhood.

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Solena's avatar

😂 honestly? not far off. both involve bodily fluids, chronic sleep deprivation, screaming, and an existential identity crisis no one warned you about.

maybe ICU is just motherhood with a crash cart. 🫠💉

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BellyLines's avatar

Yep! Basically!

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Carol Ann Power's avatar

Wow! What can I say except that I feel the rawness and earnestness of your pain, Ma’am, as only a medical professional understands that sadness and that gallows’ humour💙

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Solena's avatar

Thank you so much, Carol—

That means more than I can say.

You really felt the undertow behind the humour, and that’s rare.

Not everyone hears the grief hiding in sarcasm, or the burnout behind the bravery.

Whether you’ve lived this from the inside or just have a soul that listens deeper—

thank you for meeting this with your heart.

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