David Wikstrom
July 2019
David
Wikstrom
,
BSN, RN
Bariatric
Spectrum Health Blodgett
Grand Rapids
,
MI
United States

 

 

 

My son, A, was a patient of David's. A had emergency surgery, at which time he received an ileostomy because Crohn's Disease ruptured his intestine. Two days later, at 8:30 am, David was getting ready to put an NG tube into A when I walked into the room. He said he was just getting ready to call me because A was septic. I told him I wanted to leave the room while he took care of A but asked that he come talk to me in the family room when he was done. He did and knew that I was very anxious and scared for A. He did a fantastic job caring for A until they took him to surgery again around 4 pm.
A was here for 19 days. David was so encouraging to not only A but to my husband and me the entire time he was here. On days that he didn't have A as a patient, he would pop in for 5 to 10 minutes after he got off work just to say hi and encourage A more. I am happy to report to you that A had the ileostomy takedown surgery and is doing well! I went for a walk after A got settled in his room. When I saw David, his face dropped and he said, "Oh no, he's not back!" I said yes, but for the takedown surgery. You could see the look of sadness and concern change to immediate joy for A. A got a pop in visit from David after his long day of work. (P.S. He always asks if it is okay to visit first!)
David is an amazing nurse who takes care of not only his patients but family members, too. I will be forever grateful to him for caring for A at such an awful time—he is encouraging, compassionate, and professional. David will not be forgotten!
***
When my wife had a feeding tube put in, it was later in the day and the dieticians had already gone home. We were worried she might not get to start until the next day. David made some calls and talked to the doctor and she was hooked up and getting nutrients in no time. David kept us well informed and did a great job of explaining things. He listened intently and always made us feel like we're important and a priority. David made sure anything we needed was addressed promptly. We have had many great nurses during our times at Blodgett. Many of the things I've written about David could be applied to them as well. David just seemed to put all those things together in great quantities and many more things, as well. This is what made him stand out.