Debbie Lugo
February 2022
Debra
Lugo
,
RN
Emergency Department
Dignity Health Mercy San Juan Medical Center
Carmichael
,
CA
United States

 

 

 

They never gave up on me, and they always believed in me.
I'm not sure if you all worked with D at any point. He was one of our frequent fliers in the ED, using alcohol and meth daily for many years. He came in recently for an unrelated issue. He was so proud of his sobriety that he asked me to share his story with all of you. He's been clean and sober for 90 days now, and he said the doctor and Debbie Lugo were the reason for his sobriety. I asked Debbie about her interaction with him. He was "acting a fool in the lobby, per usual, yelling at everyone and getting into a fight with security," Debbie told me. She said to D, "Hey, you have to stop yelling. Have you eaten? Do you need breakfast?" She took D to the cafeteria and bought him breakfast. While eating, she asked him about his plans and what resources he had. She ultimately was able to get him placed into a shelter that day. D told me he stayed there for 7 days, sobered up, and they got him into a board and care. He's been so happy there and feels great about life. He was so grateful to everyone at MSJ, but in particular, Debbie and the doctor. He said, "They never gave up on me, and they always believed in me." I love this story. It just gives me a shimmer of hope for some of our frequent fliers and a reminder that we shouldn't give up on our patients and we need to continue to offer rehab and resources.