Austin resident praised Loretto Hospital physicians and staff for the hospitable
treatment and outstanding care she received when she was admitted as a
patient through the emergency department on Friday, January 8, after being
found nearly unconscious by family members in her west side home.
The patient, being 75, was rushed to Loretto at about 11:30 p.m. by paramedics
when her grandson, 36, stopped by to find her slumped over gasping for
air in her home on West Quincy Street.
“I was going about my daily routine. I felt short of breath and still
kept working around the house. I had my oxygen on, but it wasn’t
doing anything for me. That’s when my grandson just happened to
stop by. He called 911, then he ran upstairs to tell my daughter that
I couldn’t breathe. The paramedics came, and that’s all I
remember,” Patient said.
The patient suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also known
as COPD. It is estimated that approximately 32 million people in the United
States have COPD, and it is the fourth leading cause of deaths in this
country. Like this patient, patients with COPD typically struggle with
breathing caused by other illnesses associated with having COPD such as
chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Most often COPD is secondary
to tobacco abuse, although diseases such as cystic fibrosis, alpha-1 antitrypsin
deficiency, bronchiectasis, may be causes as well.
When asked about her experience at Loretto, the patient replied: “Everyone
has been excellent. My primary doctor [Dr. Ricardo Dizon] and the pulmonologist
[Dr. Amjad Khan] were outstanding. People say a lot of things about this
hospital, but I don’t pay attention to them. But they say a lot
of bad things about Rush and other hospitals too. I have my own opinion
and this is a good hospital,” she said.
“I am so grateful to the doctors and the staff here. Everyone went
far and beyond the call of duty to help my mother, especially the ER doctor
[referring the Dr. Steve Meeks]. The nurses and everyone responded so
quickly. They kept working on my mother until she responded. Hopefully
my mother will continue doing what she is supposed to do so that she will
get better,” and have fewer triggers her son said.