I went into the ER because I had chest pains, sudden and excessive sweating along with vomiting. In short, I thought I was having a heart attack. From the moment I arrived at the facility, each person I encountered, in triage, the ER nurses, the ER doctor, the sonogram specialist, the phlebotomist: each and everyone stood out in their level of exceptional service.
As I thought I was having a heart attack (and I have a family history of this) I started crying and said that I was afraid I would die. Jennifer held my hand, looked me in the eye, and said she would not allow me to die, and I cannot even convey the comfort I felt in that human connection.
The ER doctor was brilliant and so wonderful taking the time to not only tell me what tests he was running, but he also explained why he was running them and took me through his rationale. He explained how the heart, gall bladder and liver functioned, and how that functioning connected to the tests he was running. As a Humanities Professor myself, I cannot convey how important this explanation was to me. One of the texts I routinely teach is Margaret Edson's play "Wit" which is about a Ph.D. Professor who loses her humanity and her dignity in the way she is treated at a hospital. She essentially becomes a nameless, faceless, cog in the mechanical process of how the hospital runs, with employees focusing on the business side of research, and ignoring at their own peril the human beings the hospital says it serves in name. I am happy to say that when I next teach this text, I will let my students know that this is not always the case, and certainly not at BSW Waxahachie.
It was not merely each person I encountered that made me feel safe and secure during my stay, it was the entire ensemble working in tandem. As someone who has focused her life on teaching the importance of the Humanities, I am so grateful to see the dedication to humanity reflected in the care I received.
Growing up in a small town as I did, one often hears that in order to receive top-notch care, one must travel to Dallas or Houston, but I will be happy to reassure anyone who believes such things that they absolutely do not need to travel any further than BSW Waxahachie. I am grateful for the care I received and I feel safe and secure knowing that if any health issues arise, I will be treated and valued in the most humane way possible. Thank you so much for this exceptional level of service.