The Multitude Behind the Mask

Nurse. Leader. Advocate. "Unstable."

For over 15 years, I’ve navigated the halls of healthcare as a clinical professional. My career has been defined by the high-stakes world of neonatal and pediatric medical standards. I’ve spent years managing pediatric and NICU teams across Chicago becoming a leader in quality and safety. I have spent my life fighting to make "the system" more stable for patients and their families.

But then, the tables turned.

Today, I’m the one in the face mask, breathing through a cannula, and watching my labs bounce like a pinball. Living with Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH), and Heart Failure, my chart is now filled with labels like "unstable," "non-adherent," and "complex."

I spent years fighting to get back to "normal." I thought that if I could just out-stubborn my limits, I could reclaim the life I had before my body became biologically unpredictable. But I’ve learned that the "New Normal" isn't a defeat—it’s a redirection.

I Contain Multitudes

The healthcare system is built for "stable" boxes, but I don’t fit in them. When you see me in the clinic, you might see a "complex case," but you aren’t seeing the whole picture.

• The Chicago Soul: I am a 6-foot-tall Black woman from the south side, and a Chicagoan through and through.

• The Introvert: I would much rather be at home reading a fantasy novel, diving into manga, or watching anime than socializing at a gala.

• The Athlete: I grew up playing sports, and still carry that competitive, strategic mindset into every "roster" meeting with my specialists.

• The Mother: I am a mother to a brilliant, extroverted son, Riley, who navigates life in his own chaotic way.

• The "Weirdo": I still hang out with my high school friends—a bunch of "weirdos" who remind me that being different is a superpower.

The Mission: Advocacy • Empathy • Disruption

I created The Unstable RN because the system fails when it stops seeing the human behind the diagnosis.

1. Advocacy: To teach patients how to manage their "roster" of specialists and reclaim their authority.

2. Empathy: To provide a voice for those who are tired of being reduced to a lab value or a "non-compliant" label.

3. Disruption: To use my 15 years of quality and safety expertise to audit a system that is often more concerned with metrics than people.

I’m here to audit the system, disrupt the narrative, and advocate for the complex humans who refuse to be put in a box.

Welcome to the Roster.