I truly believe that circumstances, people and places cross our lives at just the right time. The intersection of Mountain Vist Hospital and Dianne just happened this past Friday, August 19,2011. It was a planned intersection but the people and events that crossed at the interesection was nothing short of wonderful.
I have been under the care of Dr. Elizabeth Jarem for a little over a year now. My life intersected with hers in July of 2010 when I was seen for unusual uterine bleeding. Dr Jarem has been phenomenal in dealing with me as a Dr. and as a human being and as a woman. She skillfully combines her expertise as a Gynecologist with her compassion for others.
As a patient of Dr Jarem, I never felt like I had time constraints when meeting with her for an office visit. Dr Jarem never appeared rushed to get out of the room and on to the next patient. It was like I was meeting with an old friend over coffee and could pour out what was on my heart.
After jumping through the many hoops, such as D &C and hydro-thermal Ablation, hormones, the decision was finally made to do a complete abdominal hysterectomy. When the insurance company put up some fences and tried to prevent the hysterectomy from occurring, Dr Mily Nieves, went to bat for me.
I saw Dr Nieves on Monday, August 15, 2011 after having a very difficult weekend with a trip to the ER for excessive bleeding and pain. Dr. Jarem was booked and I was placed in Dr Nieves care for the Monday appointment. I was nervous about seeing someone other than Dr. Jarem but my worries were soon quelled. I was a wreck over how I felt emotionally and that my insurance company was pulling the rug from under the surgery scheduled for Friday.
Dr Nieves soon eased my burdened heart and said she would handle the insurance company and would relay all the important information on to Dr. Jarem. I could now rest at ease that this all would be handled and I would have my surgery on Friday, August 19, 2011.
I showed up at Mountain Vista Medical Center for my hysterectomy at 7:15 am on the monrning of August 19, 2011. The paperwork and pre-operative testing had already been completed by me the previous week. I did not have to go into a little tiny cubicle with a patient representative and fill out tons of paperwork. It had already been done. I like how Mountain Vista had streamlined the whole paperwork shuffle on the day of surgery!
I was escorted by a very friendly volunteer down to the waiting area for the OR. I checked out my number on the screen and there I was, "arrived" is how I was classified.
Soon my daughter, Ashleigh, and her kids, Joshua, Hayleigh and Matthew showed up to support me. It was fantastic seeing them. Ryan had brought me in to the hospital but it was so refreshing to see my daughter and grandbabies. Ryan and her would take turns with me in the pre-op area.
It was a tad bit warm in the waiting area and I felt as if I was melting. I thought it was my nerves. I soon found out that surgeries were being delayed due to an A/C problem which they were working to correct. Surgeries could not be done until the OR rooms were cool enough.
I played with my grandchildren while waiting. Dr Jarem came by twice to make sure we were doing ok and to explain the situation to us. I am so glad she intersected my life over a year ago! Even when there are problems that arise, she treats it as a temporary inconveinance that will soon be handled.
Around 10:15 am, I was taken back to the pre-op prep area. The nurses in that area were wonderful. I wish I could remember everyones name and will do my best to get those details because I want to give credit where credit is due. Everyone that came in to contact with me in the pre-op area was outstanding!!!
I am a hard stick and yet there was a nurse who skillfully got an IV started in me! Then there was a familiar face from past surgeries at Mountain Vista Medical Center - Dan, Dan the anesthesia man. I felt like a familiar voyager in the sea of scrubs that surrounded me. Then the Captain of my ship appeared, Dr Jarem. I knew that I would safely sail through this and dock safely on the shores of post-op.
One request Dr Jarem did not grant was my request to have my uterus after it was removed from me. I wanted it in a jar of formeldehyde....so I could sell it on E-Bay. She looked at me quizically, almost unbelieving what she had heard, she smiled that sly little smile she gets and said NO! What??? I did not understand, it was part of my body and it brought to life 11 of my children. I did not understand why I could not have my baby incubator that now was as offensive to me as the smell from a mans armpits after a full on game of B-Ball with no antiperspirant???!!!
I went back to Post-Op and Dan gave me some "forget everthing" med in my IV. I remember being transferred over to the surgical table and it was around 10:45 in the morning. I knew they said the surgery would last around 2 and a half hours. Off to sleep I went, feeling safe and happy that the offending uterus would soon be history.
I woke to an empty little cubicle with my post op nurse standing at a desk right in front of my line of vision. I noted that the clock was at 2:45 pm or at least that was what my fuzzy brain interpreted the clock to read.
Dizziness and nausea gripped me and I just closed my eyes and wished it away. I opened my eyes again and my nurse was stationed at a small little desk right beside my bed. She saw me wake and immediatly got up to see how I was doing.
My post op nurse made sure my pain was as minimal as possible and I fell in love with her for that! She set me up with a Morphine pump instead of Dilaudid and I fell in love with her once again. I guess I felt sick from some dilaudid that was given or from Demerol that was given. So, I had made my journey to the other shore but still had a touch of sea sickness.
I think it was around 4:30pm that I made my way up to the Post Partum floor. I was greeted by my daughter, Ashleigh, and a bright smile that warmed my heart.
My nurse up on the PP floor was Donna and her partner in positive patient outcomes was Nancy! Donna would not let any ill become me while I was on her floor!! You don't mess around with Donna and she is totally there for her patients and their recovery.
Ryan soon was in the room with me. Quickly followed by Dr Jarem. WOW! Now here was a Dr who cared about her patients outcome! Soon Ann was bringing my lack of urine output to Dr Jarems' attention. I also said I felt swollen.
I was given lasix two different times that night and still not a lot of result from it. My history of Congestive Heart Failure was gone over and Donna stayed right on top of my care. It was like I was her only patient. Dr Jarem also kept appearing in my room to talk and go over my plan of care. What wonderful, capable hands I was in at Mountain Vista Hospital. Donna makes a positive impact on this floor and to those she gives nursing care to.
I will always remember, Nancy, and her encouragement with her smiles and by saying, "good for you", as I was up walking the halls. Nancy goes above and beyond in her role here on the PostPartum floor.
The next day I had a CAT scan and no felines were found. What was found was that my left ureter was not working right then. The guy who took me from my room to the scan was fantastic also. He is studying to be a nurse. His name is Nick and he told me the most humorous story about an older man and his name, "Nick", he had me laughing!! At Mountain Vista there is a spirit of seriousness but they also realize that laughter is healing also!! Susan did the CAT scan and was informative and kept me feeling a part of my own care!
I also had a KUB and chest x-ray that day and once again, Nick took me down for that. I am kicking myself for not remembering the girls name from radiology but she was over the top good!!!! I will get her name and edit this page when I obtain it. She told me her name, I am just forgetful and was on pain meds!!
The days and nights were filled with various faces. I had Helen as my night nurse on all the nights I was here, I think. Helen was thorough and conscientous. I loved her laughter and the way she was very careful about my care. Helen moved rapidly when I said I wanted to walk on Friday night and was tired of being in bed. Helen quickly loosed the wires that bound me to the bed. I still had to take a catheter bag and an IV poll with me.
Then I had Robin as a nurse. She reminded me of me when I was younger. Robin loves what she is doing as a nurse and makes a positive impact on those she is a nurse to. This floor is blessed to have her. She was ready with smiles and always an encourager. Robin even came to see me on her day she had off. I can tell I will be friends with Robin for ever!!
There was Christina who was my nurse on Monday. What a soft spoken, knowledgeable young woman she is. God never makes a mistake when putting people in your intersection in life. Christina was kind enough to listen as I unburdened my heart and soul to her. She didn't look at me differently or appear judgemental. I knew in my heart, Christina would be praying for me. Another nurse this floor is blessed to have.
There was also Joe who I was delighted to meet. He was quiet and kind. I also told him it was fantastic that he smelled so good when he came to my room to get my vitals. Joe makes for a vital part of the team up here on PP.
I also had an ultrasound of my kidneys on Monday and Seth was the U/S tech. I loved Seth. He had this southern charm about him and was sweet as a cool glass of sweet tea. We talked about Gateway college and their U/S course. I was delighted to have him as my tech!!
Then I ended my stay with Donna as my RN once again and Nancy working right along side her. They go together like mashed taters and gravy! Nancy is working on getting the names of the awesome team that worked with me in pre-op, in the operating room and in post-op, so that I am sure to give them the pat on the back they deserve.
A final visit from LeAnn Sexton, the Director of Women's Services rounded out my stay on the PP floor of Mountian Vista Hospital. I filled LeAnn in on how impressed I was with this floor and also with that of Operative Services. I would recommend Mountain Vista Hospital to anyone. I loved how well the staff on the PP floor worked with one another.
So from Dr Jarem and Dr Nieves right down to the volunteers that are at Mountain Vista Hospital, I enjoyed my stay here and felt like I had family taking care of me. Thank you for your excellent care that each of your staff imparts to its patients. Thank you for seeing my through this hysterectomy and taking note of any problems I was having and addressing it immediately. I hope that someday, Mountain Vista Hospital, will be the place where I work at as an RN!!
So with me safely through this intersection in life, I am pleased to say, that I happily traveled this way. If I ever need surgery or any other type of hospital stay, I would want to be here at Mountain Vista Medical Center.
**Will update this blog with the names of the people that impacted my stay here for the positive while I was here. I apologize for not remembering your names - probably due to the anesthesia.
