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Celebrate Excellent Care

Sharing thanks and appreciation for outstanding care

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Diaz Bonville

 

A letter from Diaz Bonville:

Thursday, March 26, 2020, was my last and 60th hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment at Beebe Healthcare Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine.

I am a prostate cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in 2005 with Stage 2. I received radiation therapy and radiation seeds implant. After a few years, I had severe blood clots which led to multiple emergency room trips and multiple hospital stays. As a result of the clots, I had to self-catheterize. There were times that I would still have clots but they would stop. From 2017 to 2019 I actually had no problems with clots whatsoever.

The latter part of 2019, however, I had to go to the emergency room and was sent home with a catheter once again. My doctor said I should go to Beebe Healthcare Wound Healing & Hyperbaric Medicine for hyperbaric treatments. I had never heard of such treatments and was scared to death. I didn’t let anyone know how I felt, but I was dreading more treatments.

I have been a patient at Beebe so many times over the years. Every time I was a patient, I can honestly say I always received such professional, prompt, courteous and awesome medical care. I wanted someone to know how appreciative I am, and about the wonderful patient care I received while I was going through my hyperbaric treatments.

I first met with a Hyperbaric Oxygen staff member, Celeste Furstnau, RN. Celeste explained everything in layman’s terms to me, what to expect, etc. At that point, I knew I was in great hands. She always took time to talk to me before going into the chambers. She went above and beyond the call of duty. I don’t know if Celeste could sense that I was extremely fearful of being put inside of a chamber with a closed door, but she is an example of what every nurse should be.

RNs Diane Milam and Therese Wauters also did a stellar job, and Nurse Manager Laurie Judy called herself my “lunch date” because she would step in when Celeste took her lunch break.

The front desk team, Elyse Fuhrmann, Ann Trumbower and Beth Howard, always greeted me warmly and made me feel more relaxed. In my mind, I kept saying, “I don’t want to be here,” but the front desk team did everything to make me feel welcome and comfortable.

Dr. Ian Lonergan and Dr. Binzhi Zhang made me feel like I was their only patient. They came to my bedside before my treatments to check my vitals, answer my questions and make sure I understood everything that was going on. To me, this was not just a routine doctor visit, but two professional men who took time to know their patient, and for that I am so grateful.

I also had the good fortune to meet Ken Carson, the director of Wound Care Services. Ken would come into the hyperbaric room and talk to the nurses while I was waiting. Ken always had a unique, warm smile, would ask me how I was doing and did everything he could to assist in any way. I was extremely impressed with Ken’s management style because he took time to communicate with me.

A huge thank you to Ken, Laurie, Elyse, Ann, Beth, Celeste, Diane, Therese, Dr. Binzhi Zhang, and Dr. Ian Lonergan for helping me to heal and adjust during one of my most difficult medical journeys. Keep up the great patient-caring work you do every day for others like me!

As a community-based, not-for-profit healthcare system, Beebe Healthcare depends on the generous support of the community it serves. To make a gift to celebrate the excellent care you or a loved one has received, visit Beebe Medical Foundation at www.beebemedicalfoundation.org or call 302-644-2900. Send your story about excellent care at Beebe to Amanda Neal at [email protected].