An Appreciation for the Cove's Community Hospital

Thursday, June 6, was supposed to be a busy, yet fun day for me, a day I had meticulously planned out to make sure I could do everything with time to spare.

It was my daughter Olivia’s last day as a first grader at St. Patrick Catholic school, and I knew it was going to be an emotional day for her. As our tradition, a last-day-of-school date was planned for later that afternoon.

My plan was simple, drop Olivia off at school, get to my desk at the Herald to check my email and plan stories for the coming week, and then off to Williamsburg, where my friend Harry Mullins was waiting to give me a tour of the food bank and see first hand the important work they do.

I never made it to any of these places.

For most of that week I had been experiencing some pain in my chest, but dismissed it as something minor that would go away, but it didn’t.

As I was getting ready to leave to drop my daughter at school, the mild pain became a sharp, heavy pain that radiated down my left arm.

There was no dismissing this one, and as much as I hated to admit it, an immediate trip to the emergency room was necessary.

Not wanting to upset my daughter, I did my best to conceal the pain I was in from her. My wife told her we were both going to take her to school today, and as she happily walked into school, we drove to Conemaugh Nason Medical Center in Roaring Spring.

As we walked into the emergency department, we were greeted by a male nurse and as soon as I told him what I was experiencing, he wasted no time getting me to a bed and hooked up to an EKG to monitor my heart.

I admit, I was scared. I couldn’t help but wonder if I would be around to see my daughter end her last day of school, or if I was ever going to go on a “date” with her again.

The nurse, who I am sure told me his name, but given the circumstances I cannot remember, assured me they are going to do everything they can to help me.

Every move he made, every needle, every test, he explained to me why they were doing it and what they were looking for.

As I lay there, with wires hooked to my chest, I looked at the machine that was reading my vitals, I didn’t understand any of it.

The numbers kept changing, my chest kept hurting, and I was getting more worried. When I asked the nurse what it all meant, he was very patient and kind as he explained what the numbers were.

The doctor then came in to see me and explained the tests they were going to do, what time they were going to do them, and how long they were going to take. The schedule I had made for my day was being replaced by this new itinerary.

The phlebotomist came in and took blood and then the X-ray technician came in to take me for a chest x-ray. Both of these women were phenomenal. They kept me calm while explaining every detail of what they were doing.

We were never alone in that room for very long. The nurse assigned to me came in so often to see how I was, and to try to keep my mind at ease, and with each visit I became more confident that what ever was happening to me, I came to the right place for help.

After a battery of tests, bloodwork and x-rays, all done on the time schedule they gave me, the nurse came in with the best news I could hope. Whatever was causing my chest pains was not a cardiac event.

I looked up at him and asked. “So i’m not going to die?”

“Not from this,” he said smiling.

While they were not able pinpoint what was causing my pains, knowing it was not my heart was good enough for me in that moment.

He said I could go home, and to follow up with my doctor to try to get to the bottom of why I am having chest pains.

My wife had left an hour earlier to pick our daughter up from her half-day of school. I called and told her the good news and for a ride home.

I entered the Conemaugh Nason Medical Center at around 9 a.m. and walked out at exactly 1:08 p.m.

In those four hours I experienced just about every range of emotion a person can.

When I left the emergency room, my chest still hurt, but my mind was now at ease and I was so thankful that I had a hospital right here in my neighborhood that took such great care of me.

Everyone who I encountered that day showed the perfect balance of professionalism and humanity.

We are very fortunate to have a hospital like Conemaugh Nason right here in our community. It is like having a trusting neighbor you can count on when you need them.