My husband was treated at the Emergency Department for the sudden onset of a fever and delirium in the middle of the night. He was frightened, disoriented, and having difficulty communicating, so my adult son and I called 911. Everyone at Aspirus, from the EMTs to the nurses, to the doctors, was wonderful with him and with us during a very frightening ordeal. My husband had previously had his spleen removed due to pancreatic cancer surgery, and the Emergency Department staff immediately recognized that, since he was asplenic, he was at risk for rapidly escalating infection and sepsis. They quickly assessed him, started IV antibiotics even before lab results came back, and transferred him to Marshfield Medical Center once he was stable.
I want to recognize Nurse Lynn Clause for how kind, calm, gentle, and efficient she was with my husband while taking his history from me and assessing his condition. My husband is a large man; he was delirious, and he wasn't able to make much sense or cooperate fully with instructions. Lynn was entirely unflappable and remained kind and empathetic as she undressed him, cleaned him up from head to toe, and performed a variety of medical assessments. Her obvious caring and competence were a huge relief to me, and it was very reassuring to witness my husband receiving such excellent care during such a difficult moment. Following the excellent immediate care my husband received at AER, he spent three days at Main Marshfield on IV antibiotics, overcoming a systemic infection, and now he is doing very well. My husband's health is fragile following two cancer surgeries, the onset of two rare autoimmune diseases, and end-stage renal failure necessitating daily dialysis. Lynn's competent and compassionate care made a very meaningful difference in my husband's life and in our family's life, as this infection was definitely life-threatening. Thanks to her care and quick thinking, my husband was able to survive this serious medical crisis, and his health continues to improve.