I am the girlfriend of a quadriplegic patient in your hospital. He has sepsis and was put on vent (I believe I was told "so he could rest") and sedated. B's been paralyzed for more than twenty years now and his health reflects this. I have had uncomfortable visits with him there before. I think the worst of all is when staff are so sure that they know more than someone like a family member could ever know that they are unable to hear anything anyone might have to say.

So when I was going to visit B today I didn't feel excited about the visit. I've got to tell you that I was completely surprised. I was able to go in without extra questions and sit down to visit B. Chris came in about twenty minutes later. He introduced himself, did the treatment he needed to do then asked if I needed anything or had any questions. He listened to my questions and didn't seem to be defensive, as a matter of fact, he seemed to appreciate my concerns. When I asked him for a warm washcloth he brought me a basin and some cloths and let me do my boyfriend's bed bath without interruption or a bunch of questions. This is something that we do together regularly and enjoy. Chris understood that I was wanting B off of the vent as soon as it was safe to do it. I had promised B that I wouldn't allow him to be on a vent long-term.

Because of B's quadraplegia, he doesn't respond the same way other patients do. Chris listened to the stories of problems we've had before trying to remove a vent. When I was leaving, I told Chris that if B became agitated during the night that they could call me and I would come back. This often happens to B because of sedation. While I was driving home, I was wishing I had been more clear about my concerns. When I got home, I called back to the hospital to speak to Chris. I told him that what I really meant to say was please don't let night shift sedate B because he will not breathe on his own if he's sedated. B doesn't metabolize things the same way other patients do. RT was supposed to test B in the morning to see if the vent could be removed. This is something that has delayed the vent removal many times before. I told Chris that if B became agitated, I would be willing to come back and stay with him to avoid the sedation. Chris was wonderful. He listened to my concerns even though I called while I know he had to be doing his last rounds because it was near the end of his shift. He said he could see how this could be a frustrating loop for us. He assured me that he would communicate this to the on-coming shift but he would also speak to the doctor to be sure that B would have every opportunity to get the vent removed. I was so relieved. Someone understood!! He even said he was going to make sure that everyone else was aware of the need to avoid sedation at this time. This was exactly what B needed. To know that I wasn't getting the usual pat on the head and told not to worry about it because they knew what they were doing was amazing and comforting. Thank you so much.