I had a procedure with Dr. Jamie All this past week, and everything about the experience was exceptional. Dr. All is newer to the practice, and brings with him expertise on new practices and procedures (one of which was what I was seeing them for).
From start to finish:
-The offices are clean, quiet, and set up to feel spacious and welcoming. The administrative staff is helpful, welcoming, friendly, and efficient.
-Dr. All's consult was in-depth and informative. He took the time to answer all of my questions, and to present several alternatives. All of this was done in a professional manner, with no talking-down to the patient.
-The surgical area is somewhat "hidden," and you won't really know it's there until you arrive for surgery. It's clean, quiet, and appropriately lit to be as relaxing as a surgical area really can be.
What makes this space, however, is the staff. Patty, my nurse, was amazing. She was calm and efficient, friendly, and took time answering questions and making sure I was as comfortable as possible. She had clearly taken the time to read my charts, which was a new experience for me--generally, when I've had procedures, the nurses and doctors have never looked at my charts before and are reading them in front of me. Patty, on the other hand, took time to talk to me about some items in my chart, as well as to go over the procedure with me (it was a new way of performing the procedure for this facility, but she clearly had taken the time to get familiar with the ins-and-outs of what would need to happen, when, and how). She stayed with me through prep, and then through my entire (several hour) recovery, making sure everything went exactly according to plan. She also made me an awesome surgical-glove balloon animal (I am not a kid, but come on, who doesn't love balloon animals?)! Her thoroughness, patience, and thoughtfulness really made the experience much less stressful than any surgical procedure I've previously had.
Then there was Dan, the Anesthesia Nurse (I hope I got that title correct). He was fantastic. It was clear he, too, had read my chart, and he talked with me about everything they would be using and why. I have several sensitivities regarding anesthesia, and have had some pretty horrible experiences, so this was the part I was most nervous about. I'm small, and often this seems to present issues for whatever reason. Not so with Dan. He'd tailored things to my sensitivities, and everything went as promised: I went to sleep easily, and woke up quickly with no nausea. I was fully awake and alert--as though I'd never really had a procedure--very quickly. I even ate a bit before leaving the recovery area. My pain was pretty much non-existent, and was really well-managed over the course of the next couple days thanks to his research on options (I don't handle narcotics/painkillers well at all).
The surgical theater staff, who you really only meet for a few brief moments once you're wheeled in but before you are sent to sleep, all took time to say hi, be reassuring, and just generally had an upbeat attitude. Dan asked me what music I'd like to listen to, but honestly, that is the last thing I remember (which is a good thing--no one wants to wake up in the middle of surgery);but, I am going to assume that there is, indeed, music for those patients that are doing something more like twilight sedation. The theater itself was very modern, clean, and stocked with warm blankets for the patients who, like me, prefer toasty feet.
Thank you to Dr. All and the entire staff for making this experience easier and less stressful than I could have imagined it could be. read more
