Recollections from inpatient stay

Wow,

I have to say, I think this will be a long post!  It is about how wonderful my hospital stay was at Methodist Dallas Medical Center.  Let me just start off by saying: I WORK HERE!!!  I know my friends and co-workers took a special interest to make sure that I was cared for and had every need met.  But I have to say, everyone made me feel like they were doing it as routine.  From the admission in same day surgery, to the discharge from the hospital oncology floor, it was smooth, seamless, great communication and teamwork and I feel special.  It was amazing to experience and I am so proud to work for this organization!  We have been recognized as the best place to work and I FEEL IT!

We also have been spotlighted in the news about the care that we give.  I'm here to say: the care was TOP NOTCH!  Again, from the support staff of registrations, chaplain, dietary, housekeeping - to the professionalism of the physicians, OR staff, and nursing staff, I have had no complaints.  It has been truly amazing!

When I was admitted, they quickly did their paperwork and got me hooked up with an advanced directive (David was very nervous something would happen and needed that.  Chaplain was here and paperwork was done in less than 30 minutes.....at 4am no less!!!! My friends and Reverand Phil were able to come and stay with me until the prep.  The surgical team explained everything I needed for consent forms and what to expect.  As my family waited in the waiting room, they keep them continually updated on my progress and where I was going.  Nobody has mentioned to me, but I think the waiting room accommodations were good (plenty of kleenex!)

My team in the ICU was excellent!  They started taking lines out of me as soon as I asked (and I'm sure as soon as I was stable enough!  I had to go to the bathroom so often and my poor nurse had to unhook me from everything soooo many times!  Thank you!  It does a body/mind/soul good to wear underwear and walk to the bathroom!
They had arranged for David to spend the night and had a little cot for him.  They let him do this even in and ICU!!!! and they had to manuever around him!  But they never made us feel like it was an inconvience to have him there.

As I became more stable, the ICU started searching for a more suitable location for me and they found me space on the oncology floor.  What a space!!!!  However, when they made all the arrangements, my 12 family members arrived to see me and feed me (and right about at shift change).  Did the staff frown?  Did they seem angry?  NO!!!  They shut us all in the room and let us do our thing.  It was so wonderful to spend that time with my family.  What wonderful customer service....and from the heart, not faked!

Soooo; dinner done, family gone - let's get me to the next phase of recovery.  A quiet and quick wheelchair ride to the oncology floor.  I know the ICU staff was waiting for my room for another critical patient, but they NEVER made me feel in a rush.  That is great service and great nursing professionalism for you!

On the oncology floor - wonderful staff!  From my patient care tech who asked personal questions about me and really got to know me, to the dietary representative who gave me lunch recommendations, it was an honor to be treated there.  I was pondering my future choices for treatment, and my night shift nurse searched the internet for me and pulled some great information.  My day shift nurse was a leader in communication and coordination!  I had an ICU nurse come to remove my drain and dressing and they didn't skip a beat working together.  I am so proud of my nursing breathern!  I am so proud I work at MDMC with these people.  As the day progressed and all medical providers gave me the "good to go home", the staff all let me know that it depended on how I felt.  I could stay longer if I wanted.  Now, for those that know me, the last times I have been in the hospital, I have cried like a baby if I had to stay a minute past the bare minimum of discharge!  ("You have to pay me to be here!" has been my mantra!)  But this time I felt no such desire.  It was a very comfortable place to be and recover and regain some strength before headed back to the "controlled chaos of home"!

I also recall back to when I was admitted after chemo for some low white cell counts.  The difference between that admission and this admission is like night and day.  The hospital has been working hard on changing the culture of the care that we give.  I know - I've been to the mandatory training sessions!  Its working!  I felt honest care and compassion from EVERY EMPLOYEE that I met during this stay.  It was amazing!  To our competitor hospitals - you better watch out because you have met your match!

I will be tweaking and editing this post into a letter to the new because this needs to be know: how great MDMC is!!!!!