Siara Martin
September 2022
Siara
Martin
,
BSN, RN
KS2E
Wellspan Chambersburg Hospital
Chambersburg
,
PA
United States
Siara is a skillful nurse. She shows true compassion, cares deeply for her patients and she goes above the call of duty.
The last several months have been difficult for my family and me. After weeks of not feeling well with flu-like symptoms and going and back and forth to the doctors, I was taken to the Waynesboro hospital ER (WellSpan). I had a fever and numbness in my legs. Within the hour after arriving, I could not move, lift or use my legs. The ER doctor contacted WellSpan in York, PA. The decision was made to transport me to York and have a lumbar puncture done. The lumbar puncture was actually done in the ER at Waynesboro due to transport delays. At first, the doctors thought we were dealing with Guillian Barre Syndrome, but that was ruled out! Doctors started running tests for different types of autoimmune diseases and a wide variety of other things. With no answers to what was causing the issues, I was discharged and told to follow up with my PCP and they will call me with the test results as they come in.
A few weeks later we received a phone call and were asked to come into Waynesboro Hospital ER as soon as possible. One of the test (cultures) came back and it showed that I had fungus growing in my spinal fluid. I was diagnosed with Fugal Meningitis and Infectious Disease was called in. I was sent to Chambersburg Hospital (WellSpan) for treatment. This is where I met Siara, my RN at WCH.
What a kind and gentle soul she is. There was so much going on and my wife and I had so many questions. The doctors explained the plan of action and answered basic questions. We were told that Fungal Meningitis was rare, and the treatment needed to be aggressive because fungus in your spinal fluid would lead to fungus growing on the brain. They said the treatment is rough. I would have weeks of IV treatment on a medication called Amphotericin B.
After the doctors left, Siara got me settled into my room, got things ready for my first treatment, and explained more about the treatment and fungal meningitis itself. My 1st treatment was indeed, ROUGH! It caused a lot of pain in my head and my body. It made me shake, caused my heart to race, and made me feel funny. It took two (2) hours to complete the first round of medication. Siara stayed with me. Keeping a very close eye on me and talking me through everything. I remember one of my nurses was pregnant and with little being known about fungal meningitis they decided to switch her. Siara volunteered to be my nurse. She continued to educate herself on my condition. If she couldn’t answer the questions, she always talked to the doctors and got an answer if the answer was possible.
Siara is a skillful nurse. She shows true compassion, cares deeply for her patients and she goes above the call of duty. Her dedication to the field of nursing is extraordinary! My wife and I would love to see Siara recognized with the DAISY Award! She is truly deserving!
A few weeks later we received a phone call and were asked to come into Waynesboro Hospital ER as soon as possible. One of the test (cultures) came back and it showed that I had fungus growing in my spinal fluid. I was diagnosed with Fugal Meningitis and Infectious Disease was called in. I was sent to Chambersburg Hospital (WellSpan) for treatment. This is where I met Siara, my RN at WCH.
What a kind and gentle soul she is. There was so much going on and my wife and I had so many questions. The doctors explained the plan of action and answered basic questions. We were told that Fungal Meningitis was rare, and the treatment needed to be aggressive because fungus in your spinal fluid would lead to fungus growing on the brain. They said the treatment is rough. I would have weeks of IV treatment on a medication called Amphotericin B.
After the doctors left, Siara got me settled into my room, got things ready for my first treatment, and explained more about the treatment and fungal meningitis itself. My 1st treatment was indeed, ROUGH! It caused a lot of pain in my head and my body. It made me shake, caused my heart to race, and made me feel funny. It took two (2) hours to complete the first round of medication. Siara stayed with me. Keeping a very close eye on me and talking me through everything. I remember one of my nurses was pregnant and with little being known about fungal meningitis they decided to switch her. Siara volunteered to be my nurse. She continued to educate herself on my condition. If she couldn’t answer the questions, she always talked to the doctors and got an answer if the answer was possible.
Siara is a skillful nurse. She shows true compassion, cares deeply for her patients and she goes above the call of duty. Her dedication to the field of nursing is extraordinary! My wife and I would love to see Siara recognized with the DAISY Award! She is truly deserving!