Julie Blatchford
February 2026
Julie
Blatchford
,
RN, BSN
Ambulatory Oncology Infusion
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston
,
MA
United States
I honestly believe that she saved my life that day. I believe that I likely would not have survived had it not been for Nurse Julie Blatchford.
I was with my wife at BIDMC in the Ambulatory/Outpatient Oncology unit on Shapiro 9 while she was having the chemotherapy infusion pump removed after having her first of many chemotherapy treatments.
I had not been well for at least several months prior to my wife's appointment on that day. I felt extremely tired and fatigued, often had trouble breathing, and had difficulty staying awake even while standing or sitting. I also had related facial and body symptoms, all of which I was so very ignorant about for so long.
My wife later said that she was concerned about my driving that day and worried about getting into an accident.
Just as my wife had been seated in an oncology chair in preparation for the chemotherapy infusion pump removal, Julie Blatchford, an oncology nurse working in the unit that day, noticed that my respiration was not good and that my face appeared to be drooping. She asked me how I was feeling, to which I replied that I was fine, though I was still somewhat dazed.
Fortunately for me, she did not necessarily believe that response. She turned to my wife and asked if she could place a pulse oximeter on my fingertip. My wife agreed.
After Ms. Blatchford did that, it showed my oxygen saturation at that moment was severely low, at about half the normal range. She then told my wife to call the hospital's Emergency Response Services (EMS) and that I needed to go to the Emergency Department (ED).
The EMS team arrived and took some basic vital signs, confirming what Ms. Blatchford had already determined. I was taken to the ED, immediately intubated, and admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The diagnosis was hypercapnia, likely as a result of a long, unresolved case of pneumonia. This was determined through an MRI and CT scan of my chest that showed residual pneumonia deep in my lungs from a case of pneumonia that I had 6 to 8 months earlier. I had been treated for it at the time, but apparently did not entirely recover from it, nor did I seek additional treatment.
I was intubated while in the ED and admitted to the ICU for three days. After that, I was transferred to an inpatient unit on Klarman and later discharged home after being in the hospital for a week. It took me another 6 to 8 weeks before I was completely recovered from that illness.
While I do see my doctor regularly, including being treated for the pneumonia, which did improve, in retrospect, I was admittedly ignorant about my ongoing unresolved symptoms. I was more concerned about everything my wife was going through and felt that I needed to be strong for her. That proved to be a big mistake, as I was very weak and unaware of my own condition.
As I reflect on that experience and everything that I endured, I am forever grateful to Nurse Julie Blatchford for her attentiveness and passionate care. I honestly believe that she saved my life that day. I believe that I likely would not have survived had it not been for Nurse Julie Blatchford.
I genuinely and sincerely believe that I owe her my life, or at least a huge debt of gratitude for what she did for me.
Thank you.
I had not been well for at least several months prior to my wife's appointment on that day. I felt extremely tired and fatigued, often had trouble breathing, and had difficulty staying awake even while standing or sitting. I also had related facial and body symptoms, all of which I was so very ignorant about for so long.
My wife later said that she was concerned about my driving that day and worried about getting into an accident.
Just as my wife had been seated in an oncology chair in preparation for the chemotherapy infusion pump removal, Julie Blatchford, an oncology nurse working in the unit that day, noticed that my respiration was not good and that my face appeared to be drooping. She asked me how I was feeling, to which I replied that I was fine, though I was still somewhat dazed.
Fortunately for me, she did not necessarily believe that response. She turned to my wife and asked if she could place a pulse oximeter on my fingertip. My wife agreed.
After Ms. Blatchford did that, it showed my oxygen saturation at that moment was severely low, at about half the normal range. She then told my wife to call the hospital's Emergency Response Services (EMS) and that I needed to go to the Emergency Department (ED).
The EMS team arrived and took some basic vital signs, confirming what Ms. Blatchford had already determined. I was taken to the ED, immediately intubated, and admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The diagnosis was hypercapnia, likely as a result of a long, unresolved case of pneumonia. This was determined through an MRI and CT scan of my chest that showed residual pneumonia deep in my lungs from a case of pneumonia that I had 6 to 8 months earlier. I had been treated for it at the time, but apparently did not entirely recover from it, nor did I seek additional treatment.
I was intubated while in the ED and admitted to the ICU for three days. After that, I was transferred to an inpatient unit on Klarman and later discharged home after being in the hospital for a week. It took me another 6 to 8 weeks before I was completely recovered from that illness.
While I do see my doctor regularly, including being treated for the pneumonia, which did improve, in retrospect, I was admittedly ignorant about my ongoing unresolved symptoms. I was more concerned about everything my wife was going through and felt that I needed to be strong for her. That proved to be a big mistake, as I was very weak and unaware of my own condition.
As I reflect on that experience and everything that I endured, I am forever grateful to Nurse Julie Blatchford for her attentiveness and passionate care. I honestly believe that she saved my life that day. I believe that I likely would not have survived had it not been for Nurse Julie Blatchford.
I genuinely and sincerely believe that I owe her my life, or at least a huge debt of gratitude for what she did for me.
Thank you.