Recently, my husband was diagnosed with shingles and IV treatment was administered to protect his one kidney. He was a patient in the hospital for three days before continuing treatment in the Hospital at Home program. He was already recovering from a stroke and the stress that accompanies that. When my nurse arrived in the morning for his normal visit, she observed and questioned him about the intense pain in his eye. She then contacted the doctor, suggesting that my husband might need to see the ophthalmologist. They were trying to prevent the virus from reaching the optic nerve which can cause blindness and certainly affect the future quality of life. In a matter of a few minutes, the trip was set. And within an hour, she met us at the door of the hospital to transport my husband to be seen by the ophthalmologist. She stayed with us the entire time and helped to safely get him back for transport.

Fortunately, the news regarding his eye was not bad, but it did allow the doctor to see his eye and change the medication a bit to help keep the cornea from scarring. She gave my husband such good counsel about pain management (he was trying to be a hero) and the importance of reducing stress in his already stressed body. She was observant and wise, and we believe that my husband’s future vision will be positively affected by her actions. Since he is a gifted portrait artist, his vision is so important to him.