​​​​​​I recently lost the love of my life to heart disease. It was a long journey made easier only by the incredible people who came into our lives just as we needed them most. I don't believe it was by accident. I believe the Lord puts angels in our path to ease our burden. You just don't always recognize them until later. Looking back, I realize I could not have carried this without one very special person in particular.
We started out with doctors in Washington and after some very bad experiences we were referred to Dr. S. He was wonderful. He really got to know his patients and treated them individually. Little did we know at the time that he was only a pre-cursor for greater things to come. When he retired, we were very worried. He referred us to Dr. A. and Alysa Pivik. I still remember that first visit like it was yesterday. When Alysa came in the room she was immediately like family. She took the time to get to know my husband. He really came to appreciate their banter back and forth because they would constantly tease each other. She would always remember details he had previously told her and would ask about his "bike trip" or his "birthday". On one occasion when his kidneys failed, she even stopped by his hospital room with a few friends for an impromptu birthday party. The small things can mean so much when you are so sick. She always attended to the small details as well as the big ones.
I could go on and on about all the things that she has done for us but let me just say that she never let us go it alone. She was always there to help me. Like helping me get a wheelchair when he could no longer walk, fighting with our mail order drug company about a prescription they didn't want to cover, or how to get him transferred to AGH from another hospital when he was in immediate danger. She made the disability process so easy. I thought for sure I needed an attorney, but she said she had it and SHE DID. When Alyssa told you she had it, she would never let you down. Even though she continues her education to better herself, the quality of her assistance never wavered.
She has visited my husband's hospital room during his stays, checked in on him while he was having procedures done, and even followed up with calls when she had not heard from him for a while to check in. The list just goes on and on. She even came to visit him in the end. She never left us even when it got bad. Those last couple of days were some of the most crippling days of my life. She answered every call I made to her and got all of my questions answered. She stayed positive and as up lifting as she could. Dr. A. and Alysa made me feel surrounded so that I knew I was not alone when I lost him.
Some people are just meant to be in certain professions. I believe that AGH is very fortunate to have Alysa Pivik on staff there. I wish that in these crazy times that we are experiencing that there could be more people like her so that more people could receive the love, care, and compassion that we received, always. I pray that God will always bless her on her journey as she blessed us on ours.