Still recovering from a health scare, Bev Lougheed of Kenosee Lake, is now at home. Recently she had been admitted to Arcola Health Centre, where she was later transported to Regina General Hospital.
Her stay at Regina General lasted for three and a half weeks. Being placed under observation and interacting with much of the staff. Lougheed, came to find that the idea she had of hospitals being terrible places was completely debunked.
"You always see hospitals getting knocked and Regina General went way above what I had anticipated. Everyone from those in Arcola, to the ambulance attendants to everyone in Regina, they just all went way above and beyond." Lougheed exclaimed.
After spending time in the Arcola Health Centre it was found that the symptoms she complained of were more serious than first anticipated. She had been treated wonderfully by the staff there and given some of the most important advice of her life, to take an ambulance to Regina General. Her husband, Rod, could have driven her himself, but the suggestion to take the ambulance was given to avoid the waiting room at the hospital. Lougheed's health was a serious concern for the health professionals in Arcola. They didn't want Lougheed to sit waiting for her name to be called at the General because her symptoms were a major concern.
While being transported to Regina by the EMS she encountered extremely professional, caring, and kind individuals. They stayed with her and her husband as she waited to be admitted or sent home. "Everyone did whatever they could do to help, right from Arcola onwards." Lougheed mentioned, while discussing her recent stay in the hospital.
During her stay Lougheed interacted with various doctors, nurses, residents, porters, and even the cleaning staff. While being transported through the hospital, after having x-rays done, the porter asked how long she had been in the hospital. Replying two weeks, the porter exclaimed that they would take the scenic route back to her room. The porter then stopped at many windows on the way back letting Lougheed take in some different views from those that she had been used to. This small act by the porter was something extremely wonderful as it broke from the monotony of the hospital stay. Little things the staff did during her stay at the Regina Hospital made it as pleasant an experience as it could be. "Everyone at the General are in the right profession."
Late one night Lougheed's doctor asked for the nurses to take her into the observation room. At 10 p.m. the nurses asked Lougheed if she really wanted to be moved that night, which she simply stated if it was what her doctor thought best, then it must be done. She was moved to the observation room, which is quite noisy. All of the nurses were extremely concerned over the next few days as they noticed she was having difficulties sleeping because of this. A jersey, or resident, as they are called at the hospital ended up bringing a CD to Lougheed of nature sounds hoping to help with the sleepless nights. Something Lougheed had never expected, "This person is going to be a doctor and one of their main concerns was that I wasn't sleeping well."
"You sometimes hear horror stories and are discouraged at having to go to hospitals, but my experience was absolutely unbelievable." Lougheed said.
While being frightened by what happening and a little bit scared of hospitals in general, only ever being admitted for giving birth to her children, she was set at ease by the staff. "They took the time to explain what they were doing, what different drugs would do, how long I would be on them, and they kept me calm."
"Everything they could have done, they did." Anything to make Lougheed feel more at ease, while explaining exactly what was happening with her was a positive experience, despite the circumstances of her being there. "The entire staff at the General was fabulous."
This caring experience was shared by other patients at the hospital that Lougheed interacted with. Overall, they had the best experience in a hospital possible. The idea the hospital staff don't care or hospitals are terrible experiences is not always true. The circumstances for being there are not pleasant, but the treatment received can be.
