Now I understand why they get such high rankings
By Will Collette
The most recent hospitalization started with a classic
flu-like illness. Despite having gotten my annual flu shot, I was able to check
off nearly every box on the Mayo
Clinic’s list of flu symptoms. After a couple of weeks, it got worse. A wracking
cough, intermittent fever and debilitating fatigue knocked me on my ass. But I
thought I could tough it out helped by CVS’s strongest over-the-counter cough
syrup.
Idiot.
My wife Cathy knew I was bad off and began to push me to go
get help. After some resistance, one morning, I just knew that I was well past
my ability to ride this out.
I went to South County Hospital’s Westerly annex on Route 1
and got quickly taken into their Express Care unit. After checking me out, they
took an Xray whereupon I heard some of the most dreaded words any patient can
hear: “you have a mass on your right lung.”
Dr. Jill Volk told me gently but firmly that I needed to be
hospitalized. She said the top suspects were (a) an abscess, (b) tuberculosis
and (c) cancer. At that point, I didn’t need much convincing. After a quick
stop at home to talk to Cathy, Donna Walsh drove me to the hospital (thank you,
Donna) where the emergency room was ready to take me in immediately.
They did a boatload of blood tests and a CAT scan that confirmed
the “mass in the lung” part. They quizzed me on my exotic travels to see if I
had visited places that had a lot of TB and other infectious diseases. Of
course, I did but none in the past twenty years. Still, there was a slim
chance that I had been carrying something that lay dormant but could have been
activated by the flu.
As I was about to transition from the ER to inpatient,
hospitalist Dr. Sal Abbruzzese sat with me and told me candidly that the odds
of my illness being TB or cancer were very slim. After looking at the
images, he called it a “cavitating
lesion” almost certainly caused by a bacterial infection. By that time,
they had begun giving me IV antibiotics.
Dr. Sal said that while it was bad, it could be completely
resolved with IV antibiotics and that he was admitting me. I waited until after
I was discharged before Googling how dangerous this thing was. I’m glad I
waited because, untreated, gangrene and sepsis were in store for me.
When they brought me upstairs to Frost 2 (telemetry), my
room was an isolation unit. I called it the “plague room” and asked if the last
occupant went out in a body bag (didn’t).
It was private, quiet, with a negative air flow that made a
perfect white noise for pleasant sleeping. There was an airlock for staff to
suit up in full PPE before coming in. They were pumping me with saline and IV
antibiotics and generally taking very good care of me.
I woke up that first morning feeling better and grateful to
Cathy for nagging me to go get help.
Then over the remaining three days of my hospital stay, I
came to really appreciate all those high
ratings SCH has earned over the years. The nurses and treatment staff were
really great – kind, attentive, and consummate professionals.
I hacked up three sputum samples for the state lab to check
for tuberculosis. Those have been slow to come back, but the first sample was
clear, confirming the consensus that I did not have TB. The results for the
other two must come back clear for it to be official.
The antibiotics were knocking down the infection, getting my
white cell count down to normal and dramatically improving my breathing. I was able to
sleep soundly in my single isolation room with the blissful white noise from
the negative air pressure. I also enjoyed some shockingly good hospital cooking
(more on that below).
I had a couple of visits with infectious disease specialist
Dr. Brian Cilley who was pleased with my progress.
While blood tests findings still hadn't identified what bacterial
organism was responsible, the official diagnosis ended up being pneumonia. Obviously
the IV antibiotics were working, enough that he felt confident about
discharging me a day earlier than originally scheduled and going with oral
antibiotics, rather than outpatient IVs. Plus, I felt so much better.
I did hold some lingering resentment about catching the flu
despite the flu shot and pneumonia despite being vaccinated for that. I found
out later from CVS that my last pneumonia shot was in 2014 so I really needed a
new one. Despite my experience, I remain a diehard pro-vaxxer.
So, after four days of great treatment, I was able to go
home without having to struggle to breathe. I have been recovering well and
hope to have that confirmed when I see Dr. Cilley in a few days, followed by
another CAT scan.
Beyond a doubt, the SCH team, ranging from Express Care to
the ER to the staff of the Frost 2 unit, were primarily responsible for saving
my life.
But before ending my little medical travelogue, I want to
tell you about the food. It’s a cliché that hospital food is terrible. At South
County Hospital, the food far exceeded my expectations. Though they can’t match
Charlestown’s Sly
Fox Den Too, they served me some dishes that were excellent.
I spoke with the dietician at least once a day where I gave
her a review of the earlier meal and ordered the next. The meals were crafted
to fit my needs as a diabetic and as an ill patient who needed to regain
strength (I had lost 15 pounds over the previous month). I also got menu tips
from the ward staff.
Breakfasts included such taste treats as nice, scrambled
eggs, tasty French toast and, on the last morning, an excellent spinach, mushroom and
Swiss cheese omelet. Usually there was fresh fruit, twice in the form of a cup
of perfect plump fresh blueberries.
Lunches and dinners featured cooked from scratch soups,
including an excellent clam chowder. The entrees were also cooked with care
with nice sauces. One standout was poached salmon. A couple of nights, I had sugar-free
lemon Italian ice (made by Hood) that was surprisingly delicious.
None of the good things I experienced during my stay in
South County Hospital were accidents. They are Rhode Island’s last
free-standing independent hospital, the only one not gobbled up by some
corporate chain. They work hard to earn
those high rankings they regularly receive from the various rating
services.
I don’t know how much my poor condition on admission or my
natural charm had to do with the great way the staff treated me. I’d like to
think everyone gets the same treatment and I truly believe they do.
What I can say with certainty is that, aside from being
sick, it was a great experience. I feel a great debt to everyone I met and
thank them all.