Some people go to sleep hoping for Santa or the tooth fairy to come visit while they slumber. For me, I hope that Kimberly Rakshys comes to visit every time I get put to sleep!
Having a mom who works in the OR of the facility you’re having surgery at comes with one major perk- she gets to witness the intelligence, skill, and high-quality compassionate care of her coworkers daily. She always knows exactly who to recommend any time I have a medical problem, question, or concern. So, when it was time to have another surgery at her place of employment this year, it was no different; she had no hesitation and immediately referred me to a highly skilled CRNA named Kimberly Rakshys to address my anesthesia concerns and she was spot on!
As someone who suffers from severe postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), when I need to have surgery, my anxiety begins to escalate. Thus far, no matter what treatments I receive to prevent it, I have never had a positive experience. I always tell the anesthesia provider my past experiences and my concerns and I always have the same outcome… until I met Kim. After speaking with her she immediately got to work, coming up with a personalized plan based not only on her extensive knowledge and experience, but also upon her investigation into other potentially effective medication options. From this point on, she began soothing my anxiety and I knew I was in good hands. She immediately recommended not to use any gas anesthetics, as they are a common source of PONV. On the day of the surgery, Kim went above and beyond, taking extra care to ensure the gasses were removed and completely cleared from the lines. The second part of her plan involved medication. She had been investigating another antiemetic drug that can be used in the prevention of PONV called ALOXI which was of particular interest to her. She worked to get this medication approved for use by the hospital and I am thrilled to have been the first patient at Newton Medical Center to have received this medication. But in true Santa/Tooth Fairy fashion, Kim was also nowhere to be seen upon waking up! The only evidence of her visit during my slumber was the gift she left behind- no PONV! A person who discreetly works her magic while patients are fast asleep could easily go unnoticed, but I believe she deserves to be recognized too. I hope many more patients at NMC will also get to experience the benefit from the use of this drug. Even if I couldn’t do it the day of my surgery, here is my way of saying thank you for all you do Kim! I am forever grateful for your extraordinary care and will never forget all that you did for me!