 January 23, 2004
What a day at the hospital
By Gail Paparian
After nearly thirty-two years of togetherness, it’s still a
major production to get my dignified, proud husband to consider the fact that he
may need help. Today was a perfect case and point.
The morning began with our usual three newspapers on the
dining room table. Over the years, we have learned to respect each other’s
reading habits and patterns. That said, I became a bit alarmed when Bill did not
immediately reach for the same section I coveted. There was good reason.
While Bill had mentioned that he had a bloody nose during
the night, I was not prepared for what happened next. The wad of tissues he
pressed to his nose could not compete with the stream of blood that flowed
freely and rapidly through his nose.
A couple of towels full later, the blood was still free
flowing. I quickly checked our handy home remedy books and the Internet for some
medical assistance. We applied pressure, used ice and tried a packing in his
nose: nothing.
He tried to keep his head back. All that accomplished was
having the blood go down the back of his throat and come up through his mouth.
It was getting pretty gruesome… and very scary.
I imparted those dreaded words, “let’s call the doctor.” I
was met with a steely stare. Severe blood loss, a couple of towels filled with
blood and a weakening finally altered the, “I’ll take care of it, attitude. The
ever-proud person nodded that it was probably time to head for the emergency
room.
I grabbed several more towels as we headed for the car.
After nearly two years living in Banning, fortunately, we have not had to make
use of the emergency facilities of the local hospital. That status was about to
change. We headed for San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital.
As an aside, have you had to get any place…. like an
emergency, on Highland Springs Avenue lately? The ever-worsening traffic will
one day prove fatal. That’s another story for another time
The parking lot was full at San Gorgonio’s ER… not a good
sign. My God, here we were in a local hospital, with Bill hemorrhaging. A bit of
panic set in.
The receptionist put us on the list. Moments later Bill was
called to triage. A quick look at the blood still spouting from his nose got
immediate attention in the form of putting a clip on his hose to hopefully, stop
the flow of all of that rich, red blood.
While the ER was full, Bill was ushered back immediately,
even though he could only be situated on a chair in the hallway. I finished the
obligatory paperwork and was allowed to be with him.
I could see that he was getting dizzy and weak. At least, I
consoled myself, we were in the right place. That’s when we met this incredible
man… a compassionate and caring doctor. No, cynics, that is not the oxymoron of
the day!
His name is Michael A. Sequeira, MD and he's with the
California Emergency Physicians... the folks who staff our local hospitals. His
first medical move was a wise one…. he handed Bill lots of tissues and towels.
His demeanor was calm (better than mine).
Much of the time (still in the hallway, due to other
emergencies occupying the beds and rooms) was spent trying to stop the bleeding,
which took a while. While applying medication, Dr. Sequeira deftly worked his
way through the other patients in the ER. Even though he was attending to
others, I felt confident that he was quite aware of all of the people he was
tending to.
The diagnosis, once he was able to stop the bleeding, was
that an artery had opened in Bill’s nose. The doc cauterized, and then was able
to stop the bleeding and close the wound. All of this was done in an efficient,
effective and positive manner.
This emergency, which could have had serious consequences,
was handled in an astounding short period of time. Over the years, I have seen
too many emergency rooms; as a patient and as a caregiver. I cannot recall
having received better medical treatment so quickly. Our hats and thanks go to
the dedicated people who staff the San Gorgonio Emergency Room.
Pass Area people are fortunate to have this fabulous and
life-saving resource located here in Banning. Hopefully, you will never need the
services of an ER, but if you do, feel confident that you will receive the best
medical treatment available at San Gorgonio Hospital.
Thanks to Dr. Sequeira, Deborah the triage nurse, and the
entire staff who successfully work together as a professional medical team.###
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