Oscar Adame credits Rush Copley鈥檚 Day Surgery unit with keeping him alive. His liver and kidneys were failing and he went weekly for paracentesis procedures for several months 鈥 and then twice a week as his condition worsened 鈥 until he received liver and kidney transplants. Because his organs weren鈥檛 working properly, Oscar鈥檚 abdomen needed to be drained for fluid at least once a week.
鈥淭hey are the best,鈥 Oscar said of the Day Surgery team. From the lady at the front desk to the employees who helped treat him 鈥 all were pleasant, professional and just amazing, he said.
鈥淭hey made things a little easier for us,鈥 he explained. 鈥淲hat we were going through was difficult, and they didn鈥檛 make us feel uncomfortable. What an amazing job they do!鈥
Oscar鈥檚 wife, Marilyn, said it was a rough time. While her husband was sick, she was the only provider and his caregiver as well. She juggled work and her husband鈥檚 health, taking him for treatments and giving him his medications.
When he received his transplants, she watched him 鈥渃ome back to life. That transformation was incredible,鈥 she said. They now celebrate the anniversary of his transplant as his second birthday.
But they haven鈥檛 forgotten the great care he received at Rush Copley, and 鈥 prior to the pandemic and the no visitation policy 鈥 they went back to visit the Day Surgery team to show them 鈥渨hat an amazing job they did.鈥
It was definitely rewarding for the Day Surgery team to see him and know that he was ok, said Marilyn. 鈥淭hey never get to see the end of the story or to see the good,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey were so happy to see him well 鈥 they had seen him at his worst.鈥
When Oscar walked in as a healthy man, the team did not recognize him. 鈥淭he last time we saw him, he was 80 pounds and wrapped in blankets,鈥 said Barbara Gambino, MSN, RN, senior clinical coordinator for Day Surgery. 鈥淭hen this guy walks in and is a vibrant, smiling, energetic man. We wondered, 鈥榃ho are you?鈥 You would never know what he went through. The transformation was nothing short of amazing.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to see such a good outcome,鈥 Barb continued. Some patients come in for treatment for years. 鈥淲e bond with these people,鈥 she explained. 鈥淲e know their families and their kids.鈥
鈥淚t was a really good story,鈥 agreed Chris Keith, the radiology nurse who was involved in all of Oscar鈥檚 procedures. Not all patients have such good outcomes, he said. 鈥淚t was a happy moment for us to see him. He beat a lot of odds. The whole team fought through this with him.鈥
To express their gratitude to the team that cared for her husband, Marilyn prepared meals for them. 鈥淲e wanted to show our appreciation,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he care they provided for my husband was incredible.鈥
It isn鈥檛 just the Day Surgery team the Adames praise. They also speak highly of other departments 鈥 including the Emergency Department, the ICU staff and the first and second floor staffs 鈥 who treated Oscar as an inpatient when his illness progressed.
Although the pandemic has curtailed his visits for now, Oscar would love to visit with patients to encourage them and tell them 鈥渢o never give up 鈥 because the health care staff will go beyond for you. There are no words to describe what they do,鈥 he said. 鈥淎ll the nurses are amazing.鈥
