Some nurses stay in one specialty their entire career — but my path has been broader. I started in pediatrics, where I learned to truly listen to patients, even the youngest ones. From there, I moved into home health, where I loved the one-on-one time I had to educate patients in their own homes. That experience taught me how powerful communication and trust can be in the healing process.
Eventually, I returned to hospital work — this time at a large, 1,000-bed facility. Over the years, I worked in numerous departments, but the last seven years there were spent on an oncology floor, caring for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. We provided chemotherapy and stem cell transplants — and it was in those rooms that I saw the emotional and logistical devastation illness can cause, especially when families don’t understand what to expect. The suffering was deep, and the guidance was often lacking.
For the last seven years of my career, I worked as a traveling nurse throughout small to mid-sized hospitals in California, living in an RV and embracing the flexibility and variety that came with it. These experiences gave me a wide-angle view of healthcare systems — large and small, urban and rural.
After my final contract, I knew my time in hospital nursing had come to a close.
Over the years, The Art of Being ILL had been forming in my mind. This blog is the culmination of my entire career — a place where I can finally share what I’ve learned, advocate for patients in a new way, and offer support to those facing one of life’s greatest challenges: being sick in a system that isn’t built for comfort or clarity.
My goal is simple: to offer tools, insight, and support to patients and their families as they cope with illness. Whether you’re facing a new diagnosis, caring for an aging parent, or simply trying to make sense of what happens during a hospital stay — this space is for you.
I’m here to pull back the curtain on what really happens behind the scenes in hospitals. I want to help you become a more confident, empowered participant in your own care (or the care of someone you love). Over time, this blog will offer practical advice, emotional support, and honest conversations about navigating illness — from the inside out.
Patient advocacy has become my passion. I believe everyone deserves better healthcare, smarter solutions, and dignity at every stage of life. If we can understand the system — its limitations, its blind spots, its patterns — we can learn to work within it. We can demand better, ask better questions, and ultimately experience better outcomes
When I started nursing back in the 1980s, the hospital world looked very different.
Patients were usually cared for by their own doctors — physicians who knew their history, their personalities, even their families. Hospital stays were longer, allowing for deeper assessment and more complete recovery. Care was more holistic. We treated people, not just problems. There was a sense of continuity and humanity in care that’s hard to find now.
Patients themselves were different, too. We didn’t see the same levels of obesity, chronic illness, or medication overload that we do today. There was less technology, yes — but somehow, there was more connection.
The system is now driven by profit and pressured by metrics. We are expected to move patients through the system as quickly as possible. Hospitalists — not your primary care doctor — manage your care. You may see a different physician every day. That means less personal connection, less context, and more fragmentation.
Instead of seeing the whole person, many providers are forced to treat the presenting problem in isolation. That’s a dangerous approach — especially for patients with complex medical histories or multiple chronic conditions (co-morbidities). When care is rushed, it’s easy to miss critical pieces of the puzzle. And patients? They feel it. Deeply.
They feel powerless, unheard and confused.
The result? Frustration and Powerlessness
This is the reality of modern illness: you’re already overwhelmed, and now you’re being rushed, misunderstood, or sidelined in the very system that’s supposed to be helping you. It’s no wonder so many people leave the hospital not just physically worse, but emotionally drained, frustrated, and even traumatized.
I truly believe that if patients and families had more basic knowledge of how the hospital system works — how decisions are made, who you should talk to, what your rights are — they would feel more in control. Even the smallest insight can make a huge difference.
I want to teach you how to ask the right questions.
I want to show you how to advocate for yourself or your loved one.
I want to help you understand what’s really going on during a hospital stay — not just medically, but emotionally and practically.
Because when you understand the system, it stops being such a mystery. And when it’s not a mystery, it’s not quite so terrifying.
Here’s what you’ll find on The Art of Being ILL:
– Patient Empowerment Tips: How to ask better questions, understand treatment plans, and speak up when something doesn’t feel right.
– Hospital Navigation Guides: Understanding the roles of hospital staff, what happens at admission and discharge, and how to communicate effectively with your care team.
– Real-Life Stories: Candid reflections from my 40 years on the floor, plus stories from patients and caregivers who’ve been there.
– Advocacy Tools: Printable checklists, key questions to ask during doctor visits, and tips for managing complex care.
– Compassionate Truth-Telling: Hard truths delivered with empathy – because sugarcoating doesn’t help anyone when you’re in crisis.
One more thing — this blog isn’t a step-by-step guide, and you don’t need to read it in order.
Each post is written to stand on its own. Whether you’re looking for answers about a hospital stay, searching for emotional support, or just trying to feel less alone, you can jump into any post and find something useful. Come back when you need to. Skip around. Use what speaks to you.
I will be honest, open and very direct. My goal as a nurse has always been to be straight forward and see each individual as a person not a number. I’m not here to rant or point fingers. I’m here to offer clarity in the chaos — and to remind you that being sick does not mean being helpless. Illness can be overwhelming, yes. But with the right tools and a little guidance, you can learn the art of navigating it.
You don’t have to be a nurse, doctor, or insider to understand how to move through this system more confidently. You just need someone to translate it for you. That’s what I’m here for.
You are not alone.
You are not powerless.
And you are not invisible.
You are your own best advocate.
So, welcome. Whether you’re here because you’re sick, caring for someone who is, or simply want to be more prepared — I’m honored to have you. Let’s walk this road together.
