I cannot say enough great things about the care that my husband received before and after his heart surgery by the CVICU and CCT4!

I am an RN; I worked many years ago in a Cardiac Surgery ICU and was somewhat familiar with the processes. Since then, I have worked in many other hospitals and nursing areas and know that communication issues can arise, things can get overlooked, and many other variables can come into play. We never saw any issues while we were at St. Joseph's Hospital Main on MLK. I am not sure how that was possible, but it happened.

My husband had some chest pain, so we went to BayCare ER in Wesley Chapel. My husband was transferred by ambulance from BayCare Wesley Chapel to St. Joseph's on MLK, cardiac cath. The cardiac cath showed 70% blockage in all 5 of his heart vessels. As soon as I got the call from the doctor that the surgery had to be delayed, I broke down. I used to work in a CVICU many years ago and knew the risks of waiting days for surgery.

I was in the waiting room after the cath, by myself, hysterically crying, when an angel appeared, Jean the transporter. He is from Haiti, a tall, strong, kind, very handsome man (sorry, but he is), and he saw my upset and gave me the biggest hug while I sobbed. He guided me through the hallway maze to the CVICU so I could see my husband.

I sat on a bench outside the CVICU when another angel appeared, Meagan, the nurse who was assigned to care for my husband. I was still sobbing, and she gave me a big hug. She was so calming explaining that he is in a great hospital with great surgeons. She brought me in to see my husband and explained everything to us. He had to be completely flat. My husband was not happy to hear that, but it was what he had to do. Meagan was just wonderful at calming both of our fears. She shared that she had a family member go through this surgery and assured us of the great care. Dr. Bradner came to explain everything and to show what a wonderful surgeon he is.

The day of surgery, just one fantastic word, Ingrid! What a smart, professional, lovely, charming, beautiful person and nurse. She explained everything carefully to us prior to surgery. One very important piece of information: park at the ER, since the front doors will be locked so early in the morning! If I did not know that, it would have caused me to panic. After many long hours in the waiting room, I got a call from the surgeon, Dr. Bradner, who said everything went as expected. Then the waiting room door opened, and Ingrid walked in with a big cheer: “He did great!” That was such a relief to see her happiness, and I knew he had overcome one big obstacle. She hugged my sister-in-law and me. It was so nice that she came to tell us the good news personally. She cared for him right after surgery and was so calming and thorough.

The next few days, we had so many great nurses. Cyndy, who has worked there for 48 years, was so calm and thoroughly explained everything leading up to surgery and after. Sandra, what a nurse she is, she took my husband to Cat Scan and made sure the CT Tech put her patient to the front of the line. Alexis is a charming, delightful nurse. We bonded over the movie High School Musical 3. Alexis, I will look for you if there is a High School Musical 4! Dan the man, he took care of my husband a few days after surgery, great nurse. B, Travis, Jordan, all fantastic. I am sorry if there are others I am missing.

Then my husband went to CCT4 Cardiac Stepdown unit, which was great, and then to Rehab, which was also great.

The nurses, Cassidy, who was a bright ray of sunshine, Melissa (Go Gators!), and Kelsey on CCT4 were so friendly and knowledgeable! They went over instructions post-heart surgery, so that we both felt comfortable with this new situation. Kristin, the tech, was wonderful. She let us know about the transport on the day of discharge to a rehab facility, and her experience working there was so helpful. Nora, the unit clerk, was great too! She helped me get the leave-of-absence forms I needed signed. It is difficult to take care of things from a hospital room, but she was very helpful. She asked me to email the forms to her manager, Charles Schab. Charles, the nurse manager, printed out the leave forms for me and delivered them to me personally, within 30 minutes of sending them to him. He could have had the nurse deliver them, but he came in himself. Later, he came on the day we were being discharged to see how we were going. Just amazing! I shared how excellent the staff was. He said they have a great team, and I said that means you are a great manager. There are others at night, I am sorry I do not know their names, but I am sure they were just as great.

The doctors were all amazing as well! Dr. Bradner was the cardiac surgeon, and I cannot say enough about him. There were no complications after surgery; it went smoothly. I want to give an honorable mention to one nurse specifically. Kelsey. She was there when our son and two granddaughters visited (8 and 4 years old), the four-year-old said she wanted to be a doctor. Kelsey brought in a little medical kit that she put together with a stethoscope, syringes, gauze pads, and more. There was a post it note that said "Always Follow Your Dreams!" This was so touching that it brought me to tears. In 35 years of nursing, I had never seen such a kind gesture. What an impact a gesture like this from an RN can have on kids, and it made me and my husband so happy. Shereen, the PT, Jorge, the OT, and Roxana, the OT, were just so patient, kind, and taught us so many tips for managing in a car and at home.

I want to mention Yvona, I may not spell it correctly, she is in EVS (environmental services), and she brought us a greeting card with a prayer on it. I just can’t believe the kindness. The heart-shaped red pillow! What a great touch! The staff all signed his heart pillow. My husband would not let anyone leave without signing his pillow. It will also be used for car rides under his seat belt, which is just so great.

He is getting stronger every day. We cannot say a big enough thank you! You are all fantastic, and we appreciate all the excellent care he received! Keep doing what you are doing; there are many families who need you! We are forever grateful!