Critical Care Team
October 2020
Critical Care Team at
Elkhart General Hospital
Critical Care Unit
Elkhart General Hospital
Elkhart
,
IN
United States
Jessica Gingerich and
Nicole Gardner
Nicole Gardner
I am writing to you to express my gratitude to the ICU team for all they did to help me in my fight to survive COVID! As the first COVID patient in ICU in Elkhart County, I had to place all my trust in their hands to help me fight this fight, knowing that this virus was new to all of us. When arriving at the ICU unit I knew I was sick and scared of the unknown. That fear never showed when I was wheeled into a unit in ICU. The doctors, nurses, and staff faced fear right in the eyes and made me feel safe, comfortable, and cared for as their own. The ICU team approached me in the room and walked me through the next steps necessary to help save my life.
While lying there surrounded by the team doing their jobs to help me, they kept reminding me that they were there to help me get through this and would do everything they could. This was as I was being prepared to be intubated to give my body a fighting chance against COVID. The nurses even took time to let me speak to my family on the phone not knowing if I would ever see them again. Several days later I was awakened so the team could take out the tube to check my breathing in hopes of getting better. When the tube was extracted things went downhill fast. My breathing was worse, and COVID was winning. Within hours I was headed back to the ICU unit told the ICU team had to intubate me a second time. Knowing my chances were slim, I had to trust the team to do everything they can to get me through this again.
After 24 days of being in the hospital, not only did I wake up again but the ICU team was there to help me make my way back home to my family. Words cannot express the compassion, care, and kindness that team had for me, including stepping in as family when my family wasn't allowed in the hospital! The ICU team stepped up to the plate when I needed them most and supported me in this COVID fight for my life. Words cannot express how much I appreciate them and all they did for me. Thank you to the Elkhart General ICU team for being who you are and going way above your jobs to give me the opportunity to be home with my family again!
While lying there surrounded by the team doing their jobs to help me, they kept reminding me that they were there to help me get through this and would do everything they could. This was as I was being prepared to be intubated to give my body a fighting chance against COVID. The nurses even took time to let me speak to my family on the phone not knowing if I would ever see them again. Several days later I was awakened so the team could take out the tube to check my breathing in hopes of getting better. When the tube was extracted things went downhill fast. My breathing was worse, and COVID was winning. Within hours I was headed back to the ICU unit told the ICU team had to intubate me a second time. Knowing my chances were slim, I had to trust the team to do everything they can to get me through this again.
After 24 days of being in the hospital, not only did I wake up again but the ICU team was there to help me make my way back home to my family. Words cannot express the compassion, care, and kindness that team had for me, including stepping in as family when my family wasn't allowed in the hospital! The ICU team stepped up to the plate when I needed them most and supported me in this COVID fight for my life. Words cannot express how much I appreciate them and all they did for me. Thank you to the Elkhart General ICU team for being who you are and going way above your jobs to give me the opportunity to be home with my family again!