As a young girl, I tumbled down a hill while chasing after my little brother, and my foot got wedged into an exposed tree root causing a closed spiral fracture of my thigh. This was before the age of CAT scans and MRIs, so the only available treatment was six weeks of traction in the hospital. They pulled one of my legs longer to allow the broken leg to heal and catch up. The hospital had strict visiting hours from 3-7 pm.

I experienced severe muscle spasms in the broken leg that were excruciatingly painful, and my parents were unable to visit me before 3 pm, making it a traumatic experience for me as a child. Additionally, I felt extremely nauseous for reasons unknown to me at the time, but when I told the nurse that I was about to vomit, she responded with a horrifying remark that has stuck with me to this day. I can still vividly remember her saying, “If you throw up, I’ll make you eat it!”.

This was the worst thing anyone has ever said to me, and I immediately told my parents. I’m sure the nurse was reprimanded for her behavior, but I still wonder how someone could say such a terrible thing to a little girl in need of medical care.