You will be missed...
Mrs. Engelstad. I got to work today, and as soon as I got there, the monitor tech told me that our friend was gone. To me, that could mean a lot of things. But the first thing I thought was that Mrs. Engelstad passed away over the weekend. Saturday, I heard. I was so attached to this particular patient of mine. About 3 months ago, her and her husband were on I65 on their way to Naples, FL. This is why I got so close to them because I am from that area. So we talked about Naples and why they were on their way over there and what not. Here's what happened...
Her and her husband and her in-laws were on their way to Naples from Minnesota. Somewhere along I65 she chocked on some trail mix. Her husband finally called 911, and they made their way to the Athens emergency room. From there, they med-flighted her to our hospital to perform emergency surgery at midnight. She was with us ever since. I met her family at 6 am that morning when Dr. Washburn finished the surgery. She had such a hard time recovering. Things just kept going wrong. So anyways, I helped her in the ICU with ambulating and some other exercises to keep her strength up. About a week later, she moved out onto our floor and I continued working with her. Their daughter and two sons came to visit. When it looked like things were going well, they went back to Minnesota. She went back to the ICU not long after. She came back out. Her in-laws came to visit from Naples and Minnesota. They stayed for a week. Things were looking up. About two weeks later, she was back in surgery and the ICU and then our floor again. A week ago today, we sent her back to the ICU. I told everyone that I work with that my only wish for her was to get well enough to travel back to Minnesota and if it is her time to die, then let her die with her family nearby. I really don't have family nearby either so I could relate to them.
Her husband lived out of our hospitality house and her hospital room that we kept saving for her. Last Wednesday, we had to ask him to move her stuff out of the hospital room because we needed the room for another patient and we didn't know when she would come back to the room. It broke my heart to do that. It was like the last kick in the butt for him. He had the world on his shoulders and he knew no one in this town to talk to. That is just so sad... to have your wife in a hospital in a town where you no nobody. Then, she dies. What do you do? Who do you turn to?
That's all I have to say about this. I'm starting to cry again.
Her and her husband and her in-laws were on their way to Naples from Minnesota. Somewhere along I65 she chocked on some trail mix. Her husband finally called 911, and they made their way to the Athens emergency room. From there, they med-flighted her to our hospital to perform emergency surgery at midnight. She was with us ever since. I met her family at 6 am that morning when Dr. Washburn finished the surgery. She had such a hard time recovering. Things just kept going wrong. So anyways, I helped her in the ICU with ambulating and some other exercises to keep her strength up. About a week later, she moved out onto our floor and I continued working with her. Their daughter and two sons came to visit. When it looked like things were going well, they went back to Minnesota. She went back to the ICU not long after. She came back out. Her in-laws came to visit from Naples and Minnesota. They stayed for a week. Things were looking up. About two weeks later, she was back in surgery and the ICU and then our floor again. A week ago today, we sent her back to the ICU. I told everyone that I work with that my only wish for her was to get well enough to travel back to Minnesota and if it is her time to die, then let her die with her family nearby. I really don't have family nearby either so I could relate to them.
Her husband lived out of our hospitality house and her hospital room that we kept saving for her. Last Wednesday, we had to ask him to move her stuff out of the hospital room because we needed the room for another patient and we didn't know when she would come back to the room. It broke my heart to do that. It was like the last kick in the butt for him. He had the world on his shoulders and he knew no one in this town to talk to. That is just so sad... to have your wife in a hospital in a town where you no nobody. Then, she dies. What do you do? Who do you turn to?
That's all I have to say about this. I'm starting to cry again.