During the Illinois ENA State Council Spring Symposium Sam noticed a pharmaceutical sales representative struggling to cross the meeting's hotel lobby and into an elevator. "I saw her leaning on her luggage and she was using it to support herself," recalled Lee, an emergency nurse at Presence Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston. "And then I saw just how sick she really looked. She was so sick."
She had just arrived at the hotel where she was slated to exhibit the following day. She was suffering from diverticulitis. The infection caused a perforation in her colon, forcing air and intestinal contents into her body. She had no idea she had such a serious problem developing inside her body. Although she was in a lot of pain and visibly uneasy on her feet, she didn't consider seeking medical attention.
"I just thought I had the flu," she admitted. " I thought if I can just get to my room, I can lie down and I'll feel better."
That could have been a fatal mistake, one that Lee wasn't planning on letting her make. Also heading for the elevator, Lee was able to get a closer look while they waited. Lee said she was diaphoretic, her shirt drenched in sweat. Her skin was gray, and she appeared to be in a lot of pain. His first thought was maybe she was passing a large kidney stone, but he admitted the scenarios were too numerous to say for sure. One thing was certain, she needed medical attention and Sam told her as much.
"I just knew she was very sick and needed to go to the hospital and get some kind of diagnostic tests," Lee said. "I knew she shouldn't have been alone."