Disclaimer: This list in not all-inclusive There are various other facts and experiences that I chose not to share today. The statements below are based on what I have encountered during my personal health journey. Other patients may have stories that are similar, less dramatic, more severe, or completely different than mine.
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Why is initiating contact with my medical team difficult? I trust them, have good rapport with them (I think), and am able to talk and answer questions with them honestly. So why is it hard to reach out to them when health issues arise or worsen?
To some, including my family, my thoughts, my considerations, my fears, and my concerns may seem petty, silly, or ridiculous. But to me - they are reality. I have an amazing medical team that I trust. I feel confident and comfortable with the care that they provide. I honestly believe that they are on my side, wanting to help in any way they can to improve my symptoms and quality of life. I do believe that they are willing to go above and beyond to meet my health needs when needed, as they have proven this too me on numerous occasions, that they will try to protect me from unnecessary treatments/procedures, and even give their best effort to help me avoid the ER if at all possible. I can't even describe how encouraging and refreshing it is to have this sense of being in the care of a wonderful medical team. I am determined not to do anything to jeopardize it - as I've witnessed having doctors that don't care, one's that don't take the time to consider or treat their patients as a person, and have heard horror stories from people that have been "kicked aside" by their doctors and left with no one to turn to or depend on. I can't let that happen to me. I have to protect what's actually going right in my health journey! This journey is difficult and challenging enough as it is. But having a medical team that I have confidence, faith, and trust in helps make the journey a little less frightening. My key questions that keep revolving and challenging me are ... How am I suppose to know when my health issues are dire enough to let someone outside of the family know? When is it necessary and important for me to initiate contact with my doctors and/or home health nurse? Do you have difficulty contacting your medical team regarding your health needs and concerns? What are your reasons and experiences? Have you set a personal guideline to help you determine when to reach out and contact your medical providers? In reality I am still a rookie when it comes to having an ileostomy bag. In January 2016, I had my colectomy with ileostomy surgery as a result of Colonic Inertia. I am still learning as I go, trying new suggestions, and maneuvering through this new experience. However, along my journey thus far, I have made some personal discoveries that make life with an ileostomy easier. 1) Having an ileostomy has dramatically decreased the time that I have to spend in the bathroom! Emptying the bag literally takes a minute, whereas before surgery, it was common to stay in the bathroom for hours and hours before any relief was found. 2) I have drastically reduced the amount of medications, specifically laxatives, that I was dependent on for day to day survival prior to my colectomy. 3) Prior to surgery I was fearful of how often I was going to have to empty and change the bag. However, since surgery, I usually only have to visit the restroom a couple times a day (some people depending on their bodies and intake may be more often). The first month after having the ileostomy, I was having to change my bag numerous times a week, sometimes the same day. However, now, I only change it one to two times a week. Luckily, after the first month, leaks have not been an issue. 4) I tried a few different styles of ileostomy bags. My current preference and favorite has been the Convex Hollister. I have found the 2 piece ones to be the most comfortable and dependable one for me. 5) To keep the area around my stoma healthy, I use the stoma powder, barrier wipes, and moldable barrier rings. I prefer this much better than the stoma paste - though I had to use both the rings and paste to begin with until my stoma reached it's "normal" size. (It shrinks during the first month or two.) 6.) I prefer to take a shower with my bag still attached, though some people actually like to take a shower without the bag. To begin with, I tried covering my bag with a plastic bag to keep it dry while taking a shower. However, that was a huge and unnecessary nuisance. There is no reason to cover the ileostomy bag to prevent it from getting wet. It dries very quickly on it's own. I have heard of some people drying theirs with a hair dryer. I'm not sure which brand of bag they use, but my Hollister bags dry fast enough without worrying with hair dryers or any other drying technique. 7.) Swimming with an ileostomy is perfectly fine and rather easy. I was only able to go once for about 20 minutes, due to my health condition and current symptoms, but the bag was comfortably covered by my bathing suit and posed no problems or issues. Hopefully, by next summer, I will have my symptoms better managed and actually be able to enjoy the pool with my kids. 8.) With an ileostomy bag you can wear any clothes that you are comfortable in. I love wearing my sweatpants and yoga pants/leggings around the house. When I go out in public, I am usually wearing either jeans or jean shorts. The ileostomy bag is not noticeable under my clothes as long as it is empty (or near empty). I have found that wearing underwear that covers the entire bag is the most comfortable and desirable for me. I don't like it when the underwear "cuts" off in the middle of my bag. Most of the time I wear "normal" cotton underwear. If I am wearing a dress or if I am extra conscious about my bag for some reason, I will sometimes wear underwear that has some support, as they help keep the bag flat against my abdomen and reduce "ballooning." Do you have an ileostomy?
I would love to hear about your experiences, good and bad, as well as any ideas or suggestions that you would like to share regarding life with an ileostomy. Goals: Perception Recognize/Focus on "progress" or what's going right each day Don't let negative setbacks drown or mask progress even if powerful Celebrate progress of small wins, no matter how trivial to keep momentum Growth Mindset instead of Fixed Mindset Example: Instead of "Plan A didn't work" think "At least the alphabet has 26 letters") POSITIVE ATTITUDE ATTRIBUTES - Motivation - Optimistic about the future - Helping attitude - Proud of accomplishments - Positive body language - Can DO mentality - Reflecting Self confidence - Calm and positive reaction to criticisms - Converting challenges to opportunities To the outward eye, those who are not around me daily may think that I choose to avoid certain activities because I am depressed. I honestly do not feel like that is the case, at least not all of the time. There may be moments or days that are depressing, but I do not believe that I am experiencing severe or continuous depression. Yes, I am exhausted mentally and physically. Yes, I am sleeping more, not functioning as well as I'd like, and not participating in activities or going out of the house as much as I'd like. Yes I am frustrated and at times overwhelmed. Yes I admit that there are times that I get "down". The fact of the matter is - I WANT to do things, I DESIRE to do things, I FIND PLEASURE spending time with my family, and I ENJOY life. I like watching movies, though at home is my preference now, and find myself smiling and laughing. None of that has changed. I just DESPISE how my body feels afterwards (and sometimes during). The energy and strength is just not present the way that I need it to be, even for simple everyday task. It's not that I'm sad. It's not that I want to stay home. My body just completely shuts down on me, and yes, I hate that. Contrary to what some may think, I do not sit around during the day crying over what I can't do. My focus is not on my limitations. Instead, I usually take things in stride - go with the flow - and try to listen to what my body tells me. There are times that I actually rebel against my body and do things that I want to do, regardless of how my body will react or what consequences may follow. Yes, I often regret those decisions, at least partially. Yet, I also see the value and pleasure - even if short-lived- in the choices I make. My family and those closest to me recognize the "real" me most of the time. (Even if I do try to hide my symptoms.) They see my heart, my drive, my Faith, and my positivity. My health may be compromised, but my love for others shines through effortlessly. Sometimes I have to strive harder to demonstrate what I think positivity should "look" like. Deep down, I want to appear positive and happy, I want to appear like I have everything under control. I want to appear as though I have no worries or concerns. I believe that this is my way of protecting the ones I love from seeing the reality of uncertainty and pain of continued sickness. I call this being "fake" at times, though in all honesty it's not completely the truth. My intentions are not fake, they come from a place of love, trust, and yes - even inner positivity. So while I may put on a mask to hide how I feel physically or mentally at the moment, the mask is not completely a lie all of the time. Many times it is a reflection of my inner heart and soul that's being hidden or held hostage by the fatigue, nausea, pain, or concerns. For example, smiling when I feel my absolute worst or when I feel like I can no longer go on. The smile may be "forced" or may even occur naturally, yet it's still created by the love, comfort, or peace that I feel for being around whoever it is - whether it's a family member or even a doctor. A smile doesn't necessarily have to mean that I am completely happy or feeling great. A smile from me can also represent that I'm still human, that I enjoy your company, or even that I trust in the care being provided. A smile can mean that I treasure someone so much that I don't want them to worry or even though frustrated and feeling awful, that a part of me is still alive and wants my medical team to see me as a person and actually like me enough to give their all to help me feel better. It's easier to help a kind person with a smile. In addition, smiles are contagious, so smiling (even if it is a pretend one or a front) helps others around me smile, which is undoubtedly a nice "pick-me-up" when I'm not feeling well. I'm beginning to understand and recognize that being positive doesn't mean that I am never sad, upset, mad, doubting, scared, or unsure. I can experience all of these emotions and more and still be authentically positive. Positivity can be witnessed by smiling when in despair, hopeful in the future, or a hug when falling apart. Also positivity can simply be portraying gratitude to loved ones that are near and expressing appreciation for those that help me along the way. It's having Faith that God will pull me through, the strength to just hold on for just one more day (or even hour if needed) until things calm, and acknowledging all of the miracles and beauty surrounding me every single day. Positivity is never giving up even when everything else in my body tells me otherwise and believing that everything will fall into place one day - just as God intends it to. There may be numerous things going wrong, but there are always just as many things going right. I just have to remind myself to take a moment to breathe and guide my mind to focus on the things that are great in my life. Positivity is internalizing that even when the battles are rough and the war within my body seems relentless and never-ending, that I am still blessed beyond measure - surrounded by an almighty God, loving family, compassionate friends, and a caring medical team. Anyone that knows me, knows that I have a difficult time determining when symptoms increase to the point that I need to make a special point to contact and inform my home nurse and/or doctor. It's easy for someone else, like family members and friends, to suggest placing a call or sending an email when symptoms have progressed. However, for those living with chronic illnesses, it's not so easy. We deal with symptoms every single day so it becomes a trivial matter. I don't know about others, but for me, I begin second guessing whether or not the symptoms are important enough to ask for medical help or advice. My fear is that I will begin to sound like a whiner, hypochondriac, or nuisance over "minor" things which will make it difficult for others to believe me when something serious is happening. This mentality, though it has great intentions, can be extremely risky for me. There have been numerous occasions where I attempted to "tough it out" too long, resulting in dangerous consequences. It's difficult determining where to draw the line, when does survival actually become denial.
You see, the past couple of weeks my energy and strength has been more depleted than normal. I have been battling increased nausea, frequent lightheaded spells, sporadic discomfort around my PORT, moments of low grade temperatures, and occasional spurts of tachycardia. None of these symptoms are completely uncommon or new for me, so even though my family had been urging me to talk with my medical team, I didn't see the need. I mean, what could they actually say or do that would help? It's not like I was in continuous debilitating pain or completely unable to survive. I was trying to take the harsh moments in stride and hold on until calmer moments returned. I can't possibly reach out to my medical team every time I am feeling rotten. I have to learn to live with pain, discomfort, nausea, and fatigue as in some degree they have become "my normal." Eventually, after days of persuasion, I did break down and call my Home Health nurse to let him know about the off and on again discomfort around my site. I told him that my family was concerned, though I felt like I was alright. I answered a few questions that he had and felt comfortable knowing that he would be out on Friday to de-access my PORT for the weekend. Since all my vitals appeared fine and I was not in any discomfort at the time, we decided that we would monitor the situation over the weekend. During the weekend, I began having more spells of chills and low grade fevers, with my exhaustion levels rising. When Home Health came out on Monday to access my PORT, I was still experiencing chills. Being cold is not uncommon for me, but apparently wearing my favorite sweatpants and sweatshirt while wrapped in a heavy comforter during the summer while everyone else in my house is shirtless or in tank tops is considered odd. Go figure. My nurse did not like the symptoms that I was expressing, even though I reassured him that I would be okay. However, my heart rate being elevated made him think otherwise. While in my driveway he called my GI, who immediately placed an order to draw labs and cultures. It wasn't long before my nurse returned with the supplies to begin my bloodwork. Unfortunately, he was only able to draw peripheral labs (from arm) since we were unable to receive any blood from my PORT. In order to figure out what was going on inside my PORT, I had to visit the VIR (Vascular Intervention Radiology) department Wednesday morning. This visit was rather quick and I returned home feeling rather normal, well MY normal anyway, and felt confident that everything was fine. I firmly believed that I was just experiencing another "flare". To my surprise, I received a phone call around 8:10 Thursday morning from my GI. This was very unexpected and sent my head spinning. He informed me that my peripheral cultures from Monday were negative, however, the PORT culture from the previous day was Gram Positive, indicating an infection. All of a sudden, I was in a whirl of confusion. How could it be possible? I had been feeling rougher than normal, but not to the point that I couldn't handle it. An infection in my PORT??!! I know how dangerous PORT infections can be. I also know that having an infection there can drastically change if it enters the blood stream, placing me at a risk of becoming septic. I did not want that to happen. My GI stated that I would have to be admitted to the hospital for IV antibiotics and that I would most likely have to have my PORT removed. Red flags overwhelmed me as I began worrying about how I would be able to stay hydrated without my PORT. A few minutes later, my GI called back and told me that I would be able to receive IV fluids along with my antibiotics while I was in the hospital. I was then instructed to enter through the emergency department and let them know that he had requested that I come in due to a positive culture in my central line. Emergency Department!!! Ugggh - I did not look forward to this at all. How long would I be stuck in the uncomfortable waiting room. Thankfully, everything went very smoothly. Registering was a breeze, as my GI had already electronically documented my expected arrival and reasoning. Immediately, I was led to a bed, the ED doctor came to speak to me, an assessment was taken, fluids were begun, and an antibiotic - Vancomycin - was started. I was rather impressed at how easy everything was moving along. Prayers were being answered. I was even surprised and more than delighted when I saw who the doctor that was "officially" admitting me was. It was none other than, Dr M, my favorite all-time hospitalist. I had not seen him in over 3 years! He remembered me and my case very well. We spent a little while catching up, discussing new health issues since we had last spoken, and current symptoms that may have been related to the infection. I explained to him how difficult it was to distinguish which symptoms were worth noting and which were just common occurancies, especially being that none of them were truly uncommon. He completely understood my hesitancy in reaching out for help, though also reminded me that I know my body better than anyone else. After our conversation, he promised me that I would be well taken care of, that he would place me in the care of a doctor he thought I would feel comfortable with and a NP that I've become to know well. In addition, he said that he would make a note that I would be in control of my tube feeds and that I would be able to take a break or adjust the rating as I needed. He was the same doctor that I respected and appreciated years ago. Calmness overcame me until........ Craziness overwhelmed me. All of a sudden, not even 10 minutes after my doctor walked away, I began feeling really strange. My heart began thumping really loud in my chest. It was pounding harder and harder as my heart rate steadily rose higher and higher. My head felt like pressure was continuously building, heat radiating from flushing, and according to my mom changing to darker and darker shades of red. It honestly felt like my chest and head were going to explode at any time. As I tried to stand up and walk to the bathroom, my blood pressure dropped and dizziness overcame me. Standing there, depending on my mother and nurse to hold me up, while waiting for someone to grab a wheel chair for me. What was going one? Why was I all of a sudden feeling so awful? Come to find out, I had a reaction to Vancomycin. They call it "Red Man's Syndrome". I had never heard of that before, but learned really quickly that it's something I never wanted to experience again as well as something that the nurse's were fearful of. Apparently, it can be extremely dangerous, even lethal, if the reaction was to continue. After a break from the medicine, we were able to restart it and successfully administer it at a very slow rate. Everything else during my hospital stay was rather uneventful, which I did not mind at all. My PORT was removed on Friday, labs were monitored, tube feeds managed, and IV fluids with Vancomycin were administered. Absolutely everyone that I came in contact with during my stay - doctors, nurses, nursing assistants, etc were extremely helpful and pleasant. I honestly left without having any complaints at all regarding the care I received from the hospital staff. My GI even came by to visit me during my stay, which means a lot. I can't begin to explain just how important and reassuring it is to have a GI that truly cares about me as a person. All in all, I had a positive experience with a situation that could have been much worse. Once again, I was reminded of the amazing support team I have surrounding me. I am truly blessed! In this video I am sharing what alternative nutrition may look like for those with Gastroparesis and Functional GI Motility Disorders. Many in our community are literally starving and dying from complications from these devastating illnesses. Some are able to survive on small "bites" of food throughout the day or liquid only diets, still suffering the pain, nausea, and other relentless symptoms. Others are dependent on Feeding Tubes, IV fluids, and/or TPN to receive the nutrients that they need, but still facing many of the awful symptoms on a daily basis. There are very few treatments available, many of which are unreliable, carry black label warnings due to severe side effects, or not even FDA approved in our country. Please help us raise awareness! We're not invisible. We're tired of our watching our friends and members in our online communities DIE from malnutrition, dehydration, starvation, organ failure, sepsis, etc as a result of the debilitating disease. How can you help? Sign to show your support and ask congressional members to support research and funding for Functional GI Motility Disorders. Donations if interested can be made to IFFGD at https://www.iffgd.org or AGMD at http://www.agmd-gimotility.org/ #TakeABite4GP and share on Social Media Learn more about GP from both the medical and patient side by checking out www.curegp.com I may bend, but I refuse to break! Everyone faces their own trials through Earth's journey. Whether it's relationships, health, finances, inner struggles or a combination of all, we have choices to make. Some will be easy, some will be hard. But regardless, we hold the power to decide how we will handle the challenges. I choose to be ME! You can like me, love me, or even hate me, but I will remain true to myself. I choose to remain kind. I choose to openly care. I choose to advocate for my health community. I choose to maintain my faith in God and humanity. I choose to provide hope and inspiration to others when I can. There will be haters. There will be those that believe the world revolves around them. There will be backstabbers and fakers. There will be "friends" that appear to be around, but when called upon are nowhere to be found. See the thing is - though I may care what others think - my life does not depend on others' approval. If you don't love me for me, or respect me for what I stand for, then you can step out of my way. Life is not full of happiness and joy 24/7. Pain, sorrow, sickness, and tears are inevitable. I choose not to sit silent! Criticism will not stop me. Mocking will not hinder me. The hurtful comments and words may put a dent in my spirit, but they will not break me. I will regain composure and continue marching forward. One thing I've learned in life is that nothing is perfect, no matter how hard you try. We must be willing to stand up when we fall, fight for our own wellbeing, be flexible, and willing to bend. I will not lie! I have experienced life struggles that have cracked me. More times than I can count I've depended on God to help heal my mind, heart, and soul when I felt like I was falling to pieces. Life has wounded me, my health has bruised me, people have disappointed me, tears and sorrows have drowned me. Faith in God and HIS plan has saved me numerous times. So while some sit high on their thrones, throw insults to injure, or make their judgemental accusations, I will stand tall! I will remain strong! I have an amazing team of warriors in my corner and GOD as my leader. So attempt as you may, I will take your heat. I will bend, twist, and maybe even crack. I will survive through disappointments. I will take my health one day at a time. I will live from my heart. The devil and his messengers may try to destroy me. God may send me on journeys that I don't completely understand or lead me into battles that are a test of my faith; All with a purpose of developing me into the masterpiece that HE envisions. I'll continue to accept all challenges and overcome any obstacles that become a part of my journey. I have an everlasting trust that God will not allow me to fully break! HE will continue to send calmness and support during my storms, even carrying me when I become too worn to endure any further. God is my maker and HE is my protector. I may bend, but I will NOT break! © 2015-2017 Trisha Bundy ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I have been very blessed with my medical team and have learned to "pay it forward" by sharing my compliments to all involved. The following letter is one that I wrote and sent to my Home Health Care nurse and his employer. In order to respect their privacy, I did not include their names in the copy I am posting on my blog. (Of coarse, in the original one that was sent to them, his name and the company name was mentioned numerous times.) To whom it may concern, Prior to Jan 21, 2016 I had no personal experience with having a Home Health Nurse visiting my home to assist me with my medical needs. However, over the past 3+ years, I have had numerous experiences with nurses during clinic, ER visits, procedures, and hospitalizations. Additionally, I am active in online Gastroparesis & Chronic Illness support groups and hear all the time about the experiences that others have with their nurses. As a result, I have gained a lot of knowledge about the impact that a nurse can have on one’s well-being, patient experience, and health status. I have also learned to appreciate a great nurse when you find one, not only by letting them know personally but by also sharing with others, including their supervisors and the medical providers that employ them. I’d love to say that every nurse that has been or currently is on my medical team has been amazing, unfortunately, that is definitely not always the case. As I’m sure you know, it can be difficult to find medical providers (nurses, doctors, etc) that are able to empathize, communicate, and create a trusting relationship with their patients. Having a chronic illness, one that is not well understood or even known of, can be difficult for anyone. In my case, my digestive system became dysfunctional. Being unable to eat and process it normally (gastroparesis, colonic inertia, etc) has created severe symptoms of nausea, heaving/vomiting, intense abdominal pain, fatigue, dizziness, dehydration, etc. These illnesses have made me dependent on tube feeds, an ileostomy bag, and currently IV hydration as well. On Jan 8, 2016 I underwent surgery - a colectomy with ileostomy. What was suppose to keep me in the hospital for a few days, ended up keeping me for 2 weeks due to complication of an ileus, dehydration and difficulty receiving adequate nutrition thru my feeding tube. Eventually, I was discharged home with a PICC line and Home Health Nurse. I was frightened to have a home nurse as I often hear horror stories from other patients regarding their experiences. I was also fearful of having a PICC line due to possible infections. I was scared that my nurse would be mean, disrespectful, uncaring, judgemental and not properly take care of my health safety, such as not maintaining the sterilization necessary to decrease risk of infection. Many of my online friends have been hospitalized and some have even died from Sepsis infections. I am glad to report that my experience thus far with my Home Health company has been a very positive experience. All of the nurses that have been a part of my care team from have been friendly and respectful. I thank you for employing nurses like them on your staff. With this letter, my goal is to discuss how amazing my main nurse has been. Beginning with my PICC line and currently with my PORT (both used for IV hydration), he is always very thorough and diligent with maintaining a clean and sterile process. Regardless of if he’s exchanging the dressing around my PICC, when I had it, or currently accessing my PORT each week, I can depend on him to keep me as safe and as infection free as possible. I appreciate how he explains what he is doing along the way, especially if something “new” is happening. I have been impressed with how well he communicates not only with me, but also with my husband and even my Dr when the need arises. He appears to truly listen and is able to effectively communicate my needs (even if I’m not sure of them myself) to whomever necessary. It takes a lot for me to trust new members on my medical team, but he has demonstrated time and time again that I can trust him. I feel as though he actually cares about my health and wants to help me improve. I’m confident that he’s qualified and able to effectively advocate for my medical needs if needed, as he has already done so on numerous occasions. One was when I became dehydrated, lethargic, and weak. I was desperately not wanting to make a trip to the dreaded ER, even though I knew it was at that point. My home nurse worked alongside my husband in convincing me that it was time to seek assistance from the ER, while also working behind the scenes with my GI to get fluids back on board at home. Another example was the time that I began showing signs of an infection near my PORT. With increasing pain around my PORT, I eventually broke down and called him on a Sunday evening. He was very encouraging as he made arrangements to come by and check out my PORT. Due to the pain and symptoms, he instantly removed my PORT needle and noticed that I had signs of infection near my surgical site. Calming my fears of not wanting to return to ER, he was able to talk directly with my GI (thanks to them already having an open line of communication) and get antibiotics on board immediately. Thankfully, the antibiotics eliminated the infection and saved me from having to have my PORT pulled and replaced. If it had not been for his calm but swift caring actions and problem solving skills, I would have either ended up in the ER or had to face a more severe infection. Additionally, he has also contacted the pharmacist on my behalf when we were having issues with receiving much needed nausea medication due to insurance barriers. Other characteristics that I value from his care include: his willingness to learn more about my condition, his positive and welcoming persona, and his time management. He always arrives within the expected time or lets me know if the time changes, which is to be expected within the healthcare profession. At times I have had to schedule necessary medical appointments, which can influence the time of day that I’m available for a home nurse to visit. When this occurs, my home nurse has always been flexible to arrange a time that works around these appointments and has remained positive, never making me feel like I’m inconveniencing him - even if a last minute change occurs due to traffic. (My Drs are all out of town.) Something else that I appreciate from him is that he is extremely easy to talk to and makes me feel comfortable. He does not make me feel inferior, like some nurses in my past experiences have. Many times (as result of past experiences and fears) I find myself downplaying symptoms or hesitating to reach out to medical providers. I don’t want to be a nuisance or have to return to the hospital. In fear of being mocked, misunderstood, dismissed, ignored, and "labeled", I've become stubborn. I do my absolute best to tough things out as long as I can, sometimes admittedly too long. However, he has been able to recognize when I’m having difficulty and instead of judging me, he encourages me to keep him and my doctor updated while also reminding me that it’s okay to call when there is a problem (not to wait it out). He has never made me feel awkward or bad about having to call him for any medical issue or concern when they’ve appeared. In conclusion, I want you to know that I am completely satisfied and thankful for the care that my Home Health company has provided me with. I would definitely recommend them to others that are in need of Home Health Care services. I can honestly state that I have witnessed first hand the integrity, caring, compassion, and professionalism that I expect and respect from health care providers; all of which are posted online as their core values. As a result of my past experiences, I have learned to never underestimate the power and impact of having a compassionate, empathetic, and kind nurse. Whether in the physician's clinic, inpatient at a hospital, scurrying around the Emergency Department, or a part of one’s medical team as a Home Health nurse, nurses are an essential part to one’s patient experience and health journey. The past 3 years have been difficult for me. Learning to live with my health issues and lifestyle changes would be impossible without the wonderful nurses that I have met along the way. Having a health care team that you can depend on and trust is important, especially for those with chronic illnesses. Having an exceptional nurse who connects and communicates well with everyone involved (patient, family, & doctors) is definitely a valuable asset, and I feel very fortunate to feel as if I have such an exceptional nurse as part of my health team. Not only do my family and I respect him as a nurse, but so does my Dr, and that speaks volumes. I hope that eventually I will regain better health, but until that day comes, I hope to continue receiving the extraordinary care that my nurse, and nurses similar to him, provide under your leadership. Sincerely, Trish |
Trisha BundyA proud mother, educator, Gastroparesis & GI Motility Disorder Advocate, Like my content? Want to thank me with a small token of appreciation? https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1LH7R639ORBML?ref_=wl_share
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