I’ve been very ill. I’ve learned one thing. We are lucky to have great people working at our Medical Center.

Time passes slowly for me here, marked by my sleepless days and nights. I’ve been able to talk to many people who work in various departments of the hospital. These include x-ray, interventional radiology, dialysis, housekeeping, and patient transport. Of course, there’s also the medical floor where the team of nurses is just outstanding.

One group, never to be overlooked, is the hospitalist team. It often comprises an attending physician, resident physician, intern, and medical students.

In my case, all of these people have made a great difference in helping me heal.

Let me tell you about the great nurse experience I’ve had on Mclure 6! Although this is an older part of the hospital, my room has been converted to a single room. It’s peaceful with a beautiful view of the city. But what makes the experience the best are the nurses.

I arrived in my room late at night towards midnight after spending eight hours in the emergency room. I was greeted by a team that paid so much attention to me and took care of me so well. As a result, I immediately felt secure, safe, and in good hands. I was very sick that night.

These nurses often work long shifts, 12 hours. They never seemed to complain of fatigue. Nothing you asked seemed burdensome or annoying to them. I needed their help and they were there—-always.

I was fortunate to have one nurse for several nights and this consistency was so important in my care. She works six shifts. Some of them are at Uvm, and some are at the Central Vermont. She was a fine listener and seemed to be always there when I needed her. She worked hand-in-hand with her assistance, the LNA, and made the whole process look seamless. Another very experienced nurse was once in charge of the dialysis unit. She spent extra time with me, explaining what the plasmapheresis would be like for me. She did not need to do that but she did.

The nursing students were so engaged and interested. Then there are the nurse practitioner students who pull shifts between classes. They are curious and constantly self-educating themselves. This gives me a peaceful sense of their great competence.

Each shift, I was greeted by a nice sign out where the new nurse was introduced to me. They reviewed my day and kept it organized. My first days were very complex. I went to many tests and received many medications. I had multiple blood draws. I was informed about what was going on at all times. They listened, and responded to my needs. They checked my skin, assessed my pain, and serviced me in whatever I needed to get me through that day. Their compassion was extraordinary. I’ll always be thankful for the members of that floor who have helped me so much. This was obviously a tight group of providers and a great management team. Makes all the difference.

I learned a lot about other members of the team. Probably one of the most unrecognized group are the people that brought me to many appointments in the hospital. These are the people who manage the stretches and the wheelchairs. For me, they also moved the entire bed to the appropriate department at a specific time. They then re-delivered me back to my room. I was able to speak to many of them learning about the long hours they work. I watched their dexterity as they pushed these large beds through halls. These halls look like mazes cluttered full of equipment. Apparently, there is no storage for some reason. ( not appealing to the eye by the way).

One elder gentleman, a retired firefighter,had returned to work to do this job. I was thinking how difficult it must be for him to walk the halls, pushing these large beds——but I’m sure actually he was receiving good cardiovascular fitness in doing so ( I’m always thinking about prevention but what happened to me!!!)) He knew everyone who passed him and he greeted them pleasantly. Our discussions were fun on these trips———through the maze we went but we always made it on time. These transport people brought me to the x-ray department on at least three occasions. I went to interventional radiology twice. So far, I have been to dialysis twice. More rides are to come!

The gentleman who cleaned my room this day must have known about my obsessive compulsive issues. Perhaps, he was protecting me because he knew my immune system was altered. He wiped down all areas of the room. He had moved from the city to be in Vermont, a place he now loved because its peacefulness. I agreed with him and this reminded me of why we moved here as it was for the same reason. Another wonderful person and fun conversation that too lifted my spirits.

I had to have two procedures in the inpatient interventional radiology suite. The professionalism there is top-notch. The nurses prepared me for the procedure. They always asked me how comfortable I was. They listened to the fact that I wanted as little or no sensation. They followed these instructions just perfectly. The doctors were so professional, caring and wonderful at their technique, explaining everything and putting me at ease.

Finally, I want to mention the importance of the teaching medical team that had cared for me. When the diagnosis was unclear, this team listened carefully to each of the sub specialist recommendations. Each time, they discussed with me their thinking and opinion. In some cases, this differed from the sub specialists. However, because they could see the broad picture, they were able to pursue a diagnosis in a timely fashion. Most importantly, they advocated to get the right test done. They ensured it was done at the right time despite pushback. This pushback was due to administrative issues within the hospital.

I feel fortunate to have an amazing team caring for me. I remind them it’s their devotion and care that makes us well. Good listening and good advocacy go a long way in making people better. Kinks in the logistics must be brought forward and not ignored as this staff wants the best for their patients. Certainly, I appreciate how they have helped me this week.