My mother needed to have an ileostomy placed on a Thursday, and even though she was not yet remembering things accurately, Barb and Cindy spent time with her and my dad to provide the first round of ostomy education so that they would be better prepared for more education on Monday. They returned on Monday and continued to provide education each day because the location was less than ideal when it came to using the ostomy products. Barb and Cindy worked with my mom and dad to provide different products in an effort to find the best one for the ostomy, and mom went home feeling confident that she could take care of things well.
However, after a week she started having problems with the ostomy leaking. Barb and Cindy made themselves available as soon as mom could make it back to the Wound Healing Clinic, and they spent a lot of time identifying a new product that they hoped would work better, and took a lot of time explaining and educating because it was going to be a little more complex than the first product. I was with my mom for a few of the education sessions, and when mom came into the Wound Healing Clinic, and Barb and Cindy's passion for their patients and the work that they do was evident immediately from the very first interaction. I have had the privilege of working with both Barb and Cindy, and so I know them well, but my mom had only met them since surgery and already they were interacting more like good friends than as medical providers and a patient. Barb and Cindy used language that was easy for my mom to understand, and they made sure that she knew the proper technique and what each supply and step in the process was before they let her go back home. My mother was very confident that she could take care of herself afterward, and her ostomy products are currently working very well for her without any more leaking episodes.
Barb and Cindy, were also very careful to be respectful of my mom's privacy, asking her permission before speaking with me, but after mom gratefully approved, both Barb and Cindy have shown a genuine interest in her recovery whenever I see them in passing at the hospital, and especially want to make sure that the ostomy products are working well.
I can't thank Barb and Cindy enough for the great care they provided to my mom and to my family. These two shining stars of Sanford USD Medical Center are true DAISY Nurses!