After becoming critically ill and requiring 7 surgeries to save my life, I was left with many obstacles to overcome. Two of those being a very large abdominal wound and an ileostomy. Realizing everything that had happened to me as well as realizing the long-term effect I was forced to live with for the next several months was overwhelming. Ingrid contributed to my physical, mental, and emotional health in countless ways. Here are a few examples:
Encountering wound vac changes 3 times per week was excruciating. I would get so anxious awaiting this regular occurrence. Nothing truly took away the pain, but Ingrid made it semi-tolerable. She recognized my discomfort and took her time, giving me breaks when the pain became too unbearable. She used special supplies to ensure the dressings would be easier to remove each time and was gentle and understanding due to the nature of my incision and scars.
We also had to deal with a new and leaky ileostomy. As a 26-year-old, previously independent female, this was a huge adjustment and a big insecurity. Ingrid made me feel confident with this new addition. She assured me how normal it was to feel this way and went above and beyond to help redress/adjust my ostomy to help prevent leaks. She also educated me on how to live day-to-day with an ostomy (foods to avoid, fluid intake, troubleshooting, etc.).
However, it wasn't until after I was discharged that I felt the most support from her. She gave me her phone number to reach her literally any time for help. Having her available at the touch of a screen was a tremendous help. She also came to several of my outpatient appointments, checked in with me at home and stopped by before and after my ileostomy reversal surgery several months later.
She advocated for me when I couldn't, gave me confidence when my hair started falling out and just gave me an overall better outlook on life. I am so grateful for getting to meet and work with her, but I am even more thankful to now call her a dear friend. I will forever be grateful.