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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Emergency services, Oct. 16 ... Since You Asked: Park resurfacing delayed during winter ... SOU training gives tips on what to do if there's an active shooter ... Emergency services, Oct. 16 ... Since You Asked: Park resurfacing delayed during winter ... SOU training gives tips on what to do if there's an active shooter ... SOUTHERN OREGON JOURNAL Bright spots in the dark Comment By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Now that we have the spring that would be summer, wineries throw wide their gates and hang out “Open for wine tasting” signs for the frolic-thirsty. With wildflowers and weeds, there are more events than one fun-loving columnist can cover. Highland Games with men in kilts; Master Gardener Spring Fair; and one of my personal favorites, the Ed Dunsavage Trio beating out jazz licks at Playwright Public House. It’s impossible to choose. That’s why this week’s column may feel odd. It’s about a place I recently visited against my choosing, because life doesn’t always consult our roadmap. There was no happy-go-lucky atmosphere. The workers went about with purposeful steps and careful observances, but it was no less a bright spot. It was the Critical Care Unit at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, and Tina Mickelson was the volunteer working the information desk. I was there to look in on a loved one, though I’m not big on medicinal sights and smells. I once became woozy and passed out while listening to a grocery checker regale the customer ahead of me with the juicy details of her heart procedure. To this day, I have no idea how I made it to the ladies room before the lights went out, and have wondered what horrors I presented to those passing me on the way. Anyway, I stood tall in the small, warm and very bright room with a doctor, the patient, and a couple other visitors when the doc began asking questions, which contained the words, woozy and passing out. I thought it was better to quietly slip out and find my way back through the maze of halls and cubbies to friendly Tina at the desk rather than become a nuisance. The waiting room next to her resembled a campsite with a large family awaiting positive news, so I hung out at Tina’s desk asking questions about her role there. I explained my plight, chuckling because I felt silly —such a big person being squeamish. But she smiled and told me she was exactly the same way. Wait. What? She went on to elaborate that she feels faint when she takes her dog to the vet for its shots. Something incongruous was afoot. I asked her why in the wide world of smelling salts she volunteered at the ICU and CCU if she indeed was a fellow fainter. The only explanation she had was less than a year prior, she had wound up there in a different capacity — on a gurney, requiring open-heart surgery and a new aortic valve. Although she appeared plenty hale and chipper, this did not clear things up in my mind. But she told me that following her surgery, she knew she wanted to help people and volunteer there. Must be something in the IVs. She said she doesn’t fear as before, though there are two aspects of the job yet difficult for her. Friend and family reactions when a patient expires is something she never gets used to. That would be tough, but she’s there to offer help and a listening ear when she can. Another difficulty for Tina is when they bring in the small blue coolers, indicating an organ transplant. She knows someone has just lost their life and had the forethought to help another save theirs. As we talked, she put me at ease, and I was soon ready to reenter the room. She ushered me through the special, coded entries, and I knew I’d be fine. After all, I don’t faint when Oliver the cat gets his shots. I don’t look, but I don’t faint. We’re sometimes required to make unplanned stopovers, contrasting scenes to flesh out our story. I’m thankful for people like Tina Mickelson who have answered a calling for putting others at ease during tough circumstances. Sometimes all it takes is a friendly word and sympathetic heart, and she possesses both. Peggy Dover lives in Eagle Point and can be reached at [email protected] and on Facebook at Peggy Dover-writer. By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 3, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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