Testimonial: A Ray of Sunshine!

A Ray of SUNSHINE in a difficult situation!

I was recuperating at home from major surgery and began to experience chest pain which I dismissed as a muscle spasm. I talked with a good friend, a nurse, who came over to visit and brought her stethoscope with her. When she couldn’t hear any breath sounds in my lower right lung we called my doctor, who wanted me to get it checked out.

We immediately went to the emergency department at Columbia Memorial Hospital. The ER physicians and staff were phenomenal, absolutely the best. Without their quick action I could have died. After a CT scan found multiple embolisms, I was admitted and my recovery started immediately.

Being at Columbia Memorial Hospital was quite an experience. No one wants to spend a week in the hospital, but they did so much to help me recover. The nursing staff was like a ray of sunshine every time they entered my room. I really felt cared for.

My husband was able to visit anytime day or night and was comforted to know the kind of help I was receiving. He was encouraged to bring our dogs, one at a time, to visit. As an avid gardener I find a great deal of solace in a garden, the beauty and tranquility is healing. We were able to sit and talk, enjoy each other and the company of our dogs in the hospital’s meditation garden. It was all such a large part of my healing experience.

I want to thank Columbia Memorial Hospital for the care and the experience. Even though it is not where I wanted to be, my visit was full of positive memories.

Gin Laughery
Astoria Resident since 1981