In June 1986, I was a relatively new certified enterostomal therapy (ET) nurse. I was standing in line for an industry-sponsored lunch at my first International Association of Enterostomal Therapy (now the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society) meeting at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, NV, when someone around me said, “Look, there’s Norma Gill!” Sure enough, she was a few spots ahead of me in line. I got so excited—it felt like I was in the presence of Florence Nightingale! I went over and introduced myself as a new ET nurse, saying how honored I was to meet her. In her down-home, humble way, she threw her arm around my shoulder and said, “Honey, come sit next to me at lunch.” So began my long and special relationship with this extraordinary pioneer of ET/wound ostomy continence … read more