当了42年产科护士后今天退休了

So here is what you do, stay with me. Write a book, titled something like “How a Nurse Slowed Aging and What I Can Teach You”; get creative. Put these photos on the cover. Fill the book with medically sound diet, exercise, stress management information. Really just copy medical school textbook stuff in your own words; no fad diet/exercise nonsense. Sprinkle in some information about your life for that personal touch. You will be in Oprah’s book club in a month. My cut is 3%

What is your secret?? You look incredible.

Wow! Thank you so much for all the kind comments (and I have not yet read them all)! I certainly did not expect such a response! I am grateful that nursing seems to be such an appreciated profession on Reddit! A few things I wanted to mention - I have actually been a nurse for 45 years. I am 67 years old now. I worked as a med-surg nurse for 3 years at Mt Sinai Hospital when I first graduated from Hunter College - Bellevue School of Nursing in New York, in 1976, before moving to California (you eagle-eyed Bruins were correct!) I feel extremely fortunate to have had a career that I have enjoyed and where I felt I have been helpful to others. There were many stressful moments but it was overall very fulfilling. I am very proud of the fact that in all my years I only had only one patient register a complaint about me (and that was because I said congratulations on your successful IVF and she did not want her friend who was in the room to know it was an IVF pregnancy). The worst moments by far (and I can still remember all) were when there was a fetal demise, especially when I was the one to discover it. In some ways things have changed a lot, and in other ways not so much. The basic process of pregnancy and birth has not changed. The way we approach it has. One nice change was things became more relaxed, in terms of letting family be present, and having labor and delivery in the same room and not a mad dash down the hall to a delivery room. Also a greater emphasis on keeping the newborn with the parents to bond, instead of whisking them away to a nursery, and breast feeding encouraged more. Electronic medical records were a big change - mostly for the better, though annoying in their own right at times. The introduction of ultrasound machines had a big influence on practice. As another nurse answered, the fetal monitors (pictured) really have not changed all that much, though they were fairly new technology when I started. Sadly, although helpful, they have not done as much as hoped, to prevent bad outcomes. Medicolegal reasons seem to be a big part of their use, as well. For me, the worst change has been the extreme bureaucracy and emphasis on finances that has occurred. The hospital feels like it has gone from a place of altruism to a big business. I loved my Casio calculator watch! I thought I was very cool when I wore it! I don't know what happened to it. I think it finally broke and got discarded. I can mainly attribute any youthfulness I have to my mother, who also looked young for her age most of her life. But I also want to point out that I naturally picked a flattering picture where the lighting obscured the deep lines between my eyebrows and other signs of age. I have other pics where I definitely look older! I was laughing because this was about the twentieth picture my very patient co-worker (thanks Stacy!) took of me, and I looked weird in all the others! I have no special regimen - I just splash cold water on my face morning and night (no soap) - as I feel the skin's natural oils are the best thing. I occasionally put on sea buckthorn oil that I buy in a Russian market, or any oil with vitamin C. But mostly I feel less is more. I do use sunscreen (mineral based, not chemical) if I'll be outside for more than a few hours. I appreciated the compliments on my curls! As any curly hair knows, it is a real crapshoot - and this day they happened to look good. Often they don't! I also am still getting used to my salt & pepper. I decided to stop coloring my hair two years ago. I started covering the gray in my 50's but decided now I've had enough of that. I try to eat reasonably healthily - fruit and veggies, grass-fed meat, bittersweet chocolate, and avoid most processed food. But I'm not rigid, and love ice cream and cookies from time to time. I also exercise moderately - walks, hiking, outdoor stairs, yoga at home. Hate gyms! I used to smoke many moons ago when I was in college (the VA Hospital in NY gave the nursing students discounts on cigarettes - 40 cents a pack!) but fortunately stopped soon after. I have wine occasionally. I'm married (to the man who was my boyfriend of one year, when the first pic was taken!) and have a 29 yr old daughter, who was born at my hospital. And boy, do you get a different perspective on labor when you are the patient!

Are you sure it’s been 42 yrs? You look so young! I love the hair!!

Thought this was the subreddit because your hair is #goals

I remember when you fought the alien in 79

Holy good genes and lifestyle batman. You found the fountain of youth.

Good gravy, you aged maybe two weeks!

Congratulations! BTW You look great.

Still hot af

You got better looking while the rest of us spiral the drain?

I’ve got SO much appreciation for OB Nurses!! My second daughter came so quickly there wasn’t even a doctor in the room yet, thank heavens for my nurse because she is the only reason I made it through the whole ordeal she was a champ!

Always amazed when you see someone spend their whole career with one company.

Thank you for your service Ma'am.

OK so ummm to be serious here... about how many mothers/babies did you help? Do you have a best of story? And... thank you for your service. I know we tend to reserve that for our military but you served all of us with your work.

Almost five years into OB myself....they had the same dilatation chart back in 1979?!

You were a cute girl and a now you’re a beautiful woman 🍷

What would the girl on the left like to say to the girl on the right? And vice versa.

Damn! What a boss. And holy shit what a smile! I hope I have this same vibe when I retire. Solid.

Go Bruins!

That's awesome! Congrats on your retirement!