As I begin my nomination for a DAISY Award, let me first say how grateful I am to have a free-standing ED close to my home. My nomination begins with my Mom and her visit to the ED. You see, my Mom, a widow of 10 years, has had a lot of health issues the past 2 years. Due to her declining health, my Mom lives with me here part-time in North Carolina and my brother in West Virginia. One will never meet a stronger woman!
I traveled to get my Mom for the holidays. On our drive back to North Carolina, I began to notice that my Mom was not acting right and had said that she was not feeling good and that her stomach was hurting.
Once she was at my house, my Mom was reluctant to go to the ED, but she was feeling so bad that she agreed to go. I took my Mom to the Huntersville ED to be examined. My Mom was appearing somewhat confused and not wanting to eat.
Upon arrival to the ED, Patti immediately said that even though her vital signs, including her temperature, were normal, she wanted to do a rectal temperature. Patti said that rectal temperatures are more accurate and given her symptoms this would let us know if she really had a temperature. The rectal temperature proved that she did have a temperature even though the oral temperature was within normal limits. Patti immediately started working with the team at Huntersville ED to figure out what was going on with my Mom. The doctor decided she needed to be admitted. My request was that she be admitted to University City.
My Mom was admitted to another hospital this past summer. The doctors at the time did not want to accept my Mom due to her history and stated that she needed to go back to where the doctors that treated her several months ago. As a nurse, I know that the doctors that took care of my Mom last summer were residents and may not even be there to know her history.
Patti once again was an advocate not only for my Mom but for me. I knew that my Mom would receive great care at University City, and I wanted her there. Patti and the whole team at the Huntersville ED began to advocate for my Mom to be admitted to University City.
My Mom did get admitted to University City. Due to her long history of diverticulosis, she ended up having a constrictor in her sigmoid colon and had surgery to remove that part of her colon. You could only imagine how frightened I was and my Mom, but I knew that she was in the right place. She received excellent care from everyone who came in contact with her during her week-long stay. The 5th-floor nurses, her team of doctors, PT, OT, dietary, and environmental services all gave my Mom excellent care. I knew this was where she needed to be for her care.
I am so very thankful for Patti and her persistence in advocating for my Mom. Her health history is complicated, and my Mom has been through a lot in the past year, however, I will be forever thankful for Patti for taking that rectal temperature that saved my Mom's life. My Mom is a strong person and we are currently taking things day by day. Thank you, Patti, for not only being a great friend but being the biggest advocate for my Mom. I am forever grateful to you!