Tender Care Here... By Jolene Larson
"I would like to take this opportunity to give a testimonial on how important it is to have this hospital and clinic in our community. Some of you may have already heard about the trauma that happened to our family (in 2007), but I would like to share the whole story in my own words so that you know just how important the hospital is to us.
Monday, September 10, 2007 was a normal day with nothing much exciting going on. That evening, it all changed dramatically. Around 9 pm. that evening Chad was holding our 16 month old daughter, Joslynn. She was real calm and snuggling with him until about 9:30 when Chad hollared for me to come and take a look at her. When I saw her, she had this "deer-in-the-headlights" look on her face and was starting to have a slight shaking tick with her head. We immediately rushed her to the Tilden Community Hospital emergency room.
Lois Lind, the RN on duty, grabbed Joslynn from Chad's arms and immediately began to examine her. She had not run a fever all day but in less than five minutes, her fever had shot up to 102.3 and she was having seizures. By then, another nurse, Andrea Broders, who has worked in pediatrics before, figured out how much medication Joslynn neded to try to bring her fever down.
By this time, Derek Nelson, the PA, was there and he had contacted Dr. Fennessy to see what to give Joslynn to control the seizures she was experiencing. They gave her the necessary medicines but nothing seemed to be working, the fever wasn't going down and the seizures were getting worse. There were monitors beeping, numbers dropping, she was having trouble breathing and then we had to leave the room so that they could intubate her. Dr. Fennessy had arrived by this time and we could hear a lot of concerned voices through the walls and knew that the situation was very serious and life-threatening. All the staff that night were great about making the necessary phone calls to family and just being there when we needed a positive word or hug.
Around 11 pm, the Life-Net crew arrived and assisted the TCH staff in getting Joslynn ready for the flight to Children's Hospital in Omaha. Julie Wilhelm was also now at the hospital, so we had all the medical minds there trying to think and do what was best for Joslynn. Dr. Fennessy had talked to us and told us what was going on with her and assured us that we did the best we could by getting her to the hospital quickly.
At about 12:30 am, when she was finally a bit more stable, they took a chest x-ray and then the Tilden Rescue Squad loaded her in the ambulance and took her to the football field to get on the helicopter and fly off to Omaha.
We quickly said our thank-you's and good-bye's and sped off to Omaha. Joslynn was there until Thursday afternoon and it was found that she had a viral infection in which the fever hit her so hard and fast that it threw her into febrile seizures. Now we will always have to be cautious whenever she has a fever and get on top of it right away and cool her down so that we can avoid this happening again. It may just have to be something she grows out of.
I know deep down in my heart that if we hadn't taken her to TCH, but instead driven to Norfolk, she would have experienced some degree of brain damage. Time was of the essence and very critical that she get treatment as quickly as possible. We know that it was additional stress on the Doctors and staff because they knew us really well and it made everything a little harder when things went from bad to worse so fast, and they couldn't really give us all the answers we wanted but they were very professional and quick to react to everything that was going on with her, and helped her and us the best they could.
Every single one of us in our family has been helped out by the Tilden Community Hospital and TCH Medical Clinic, and we are lucky to have such good care so close to home for all the cuts, scrapes, colds, and minor illnesses but we never knew, until that fateful day in September, how crucial they would be to us. They saved our daughter's life and we will never be able to thank them enough.
I hope that my writing this has given you some awareness of how important it is to keep TCH up and running because you may need them one day like we did. I hope and pray that no one ever has to go through what we went through and I hope we never have anything life-threatening happen again, but if the situation ever does arise, we know right where we will be going, to TCH. I only hope that all of you will realize how important it is to keep this hospital open so we all have a place locally to go for help.
This hospital and clinic are here for all ages; young and old, simple and difficult cases. It is very crucial that we all work together as a community to keep this hospital and clinic running because you never know when you might need them!
Thanks again to all of you (you know who you are) who helped us on September 10, 2007. You made it possible to keep our Angel with us here on earth. God bless you all!"
Monday, September 10, 2007 was a normal day with nothing much exciting going on. That evening, it all changed dramatically. Around 9 pm. that evening Chad was holding our 16 month old daughter, Joslynn. She was real calm and snuggling with him until about 9:30 when Chad hollared for me to come and take a look at her. When I saw her, she had this "deer-in-the-headlights" look on her face and was starting to have a slight shaking tick with her head. We immediately rushed her to the Tilden Community Hospital emergency room.
Lois Lind, the RN on duty, grabbed Joslynn from Chad's arms and immediately began to examine her. She had not run a fever all day but in less than five minutes, her fever had shot up to 102.3 and she was having seizures. By then, another nurse, Andrea Broders, who has worked in pediatrics before, figured out how much medication Joslynn neded to try to bring her fever down.
By this time, Derek Nelson, the PA, was there and he had contacted Dr. Fennessy to see what to give Joslynn to control the seizures she was experiencing. They gave her the necessary medicines but nothing seemed to be working, the fever wasn't going down and the seizures were getting worse. There were monitors beeping, numbers dropping, she was having trouble breathing and then we had to leave the room so that they could intubate her. Dr. Fennessy had arrived by this time and we could hear a lot of concerned voices through the walls and knew that the situation was very serious and life-threatening. All the staff that night were great about making the necessary phone calls to family and just being there when we needed a positive word or hug.
Around 11 pm, the Life-Net crew arrived and assisted the TCH staff in getting Joslynn ready for the flight to Children's Hospital in Omaha. Julie Wilhelm was also now at the hospital, so we had all the medical minds there trying to think and do what was best for Joslynn. Dr. Fennessy had talked to us and told us what was going on with her and assured us that we did the best we could by getting her to the hospital quickly.
At about 12:30 am, when she was finally a bit more stable, they took a chest x-ray and then the Tilden Rescue Squad loaded her in the ambulance and took her to the football field to get on the helicopter and fly off to Omaha.
We quickly said our thank-you's and good-bye's and sped off to Omaha. Joslynn was there until Thursday afternoon and it was found that she had a viral infection in which the fever hit her so hard and fast that it threw her into febrile seizures. Now we will always have to be cautious whenever she has a fever and get on top of it right away and cool her down so that we can avoid this happening again. It may just have to be something she grows out of.
I know deep down in my heart that if we hadn't taken her to TCH, but instead driven to Norfolk, she would have experienced some degree of brain damage. Time was of the essence and very critical that she get treatment as quickly as possible. We know that it was additional stress on the Doctors and staff because they knew us really well and it made everything a little harder when things went from bad to worse so fast, and they couldn't really give us all the answers we wanted but they were very professional and quick to react to everything that was going on with her, and helped her and us the best they could.
Every single one of us in our family has been helped out by the Tilden Community Hospital and TCH Medical Clinic, and we are lucky to have such good care so close to home for all the cuts, scrapes, colds, and minor illnesses but we never knew, until that fateful day in September, how crucial they would be to us. They saved our daughter's life and we will never be able to thank them enough.
I hope that my writing this has given you some awareness of how important it is to keep TCH up and running because you may need them one day like we did. I hope and pray that no one ever has to go through what we went through and I hope we never have anything life-threatening happen again, but if the situation ever does arise, we know right where we will be going, to TCH. I only hope that all of you will realize how important it is to keep this hospital open so we all have a place locally to go for help.
This hospital and clinic are here for all ages; young and old, simple and difficult cases. It is very crucial that we all work together as a community to keep this hospital and clinic running because you never know when you might need them!
Thanks again to all of you (you know who you are) who helped us on September 10, 2007. You made it possible to keep our Angel with us here on earth. God bless you all!"
A Pain in My Side... By Myrna Botsford
"I have often heard people in the community say that they do not use TCH Medical Clinic because they want to be examined by a doctor, not a PA. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a story about a special PA that quite possibly saved my life- Derek Nelson.
(In 2007), I was having trouble sleeping at night because it felt like there was a stick in my side, and when I would turn over it would wake me up with pain. I made an appointment with Derek, and after an examination he told me that I needed to have an ultrasound and I was sent to Norfolk for further tests. While having paperwork filled out in Norfolk, the nurse kept writing that the test needed to be in my RIGHT side. I tried to correct them, telling them that the pain was on my LEFT side. After much discussion, they said they would make sure.
To make a long story short, after much testing, they found a cancerous tumor on my RIGHT kidney and surgery was scheduled for me at the University Medical Center in Omaha.
I was extremely lucky, and Dr. Hemstreet, the surgeon, told me that people don't generally know they have them because they do not cause any pain. Because Derek found the tumor early enough, they were able to just remove the kidney and I didn't have to have any radiation or chemotherapy treatments.
I told Dr. Hemstreet about the "stick" in my side and he said that if Derek simply treated my diverticulitis, the tumor would have gone unnoticed and it would have been too late to do anything for it. Because Derek was so thorough in his examination and took the extra effort, he probably saved my life.
Whenever I have been to the TCH Medical Clinic and seen Derek, he has always been kind and taken as much time with me as I need, and is always concerned about my well being. Dr. Hemstreet in Omaha said that we are very lucky to have him, which is quite a compliment from a surgeon in a large metropolitan area!"
(In 2007), I was having trouble sleeping at night because it felt like there was a stick in my side, and when I would turn over it would wake me up with pain. I made an appointment with Derek, and after an examination he told me that I needed to have an ultrasound and I was sent to Norfolk for further tests. While having paperwork filled out in Norfolk, the nurse kept writing that the test needed to be in my RIGHT side. I tried to correct them, telling them that the pain was on my LEFT side. After much discussion, they said they would make sure.
To make a long story short, after much testing, they found a cancerous tumor on my RIGHT kidney and surgery was scheduled for me at the University Medical Center in Omaha.
I was extremely lucky, and Dr. Hemstreet, the surgeon, told me that people don't generally know they have them because they do not cause any pain. Because Derek found the tumor early enough, they were able to just remove the kidney and I didn't have to have any radiation or chemotherapy treatments.
I told Dr. Hemstreet about the "stick" in my side and he said that if Derek simply treated my diverticulitis, the tumor would have gone unnoticed and it would have been too late to do anything for it. Because Derek was so thorough in his examination and took the extra effort, he probably saved my life.
Whenever I have been to the TCH Medical Clinic and seen Derek, he has always been kind and taken as much time with me as I need, and is always concerned about my well being. Dr. Hemstreet in Omaha said that we are very lucky to have him, which is quite a compliment from a surgeon in a large metropolitan area!"
Undivided Attention... By Melissa Rautenberg
"My children are my everything and I will always do whatever it takes to protect them. My youngest son, Abraham, had his first febrile seizure at the age of six months. So, every time I felt his temperature rising I would do everything necessary to keep it under control. This included going to a doctor to make sure he didn't have an ear infection or anything else that could be treated to keep his fever down. We have been fortunate for Abe to only have had three seizures, with his last one occuring at 18 months old. Of cource that fact doesn't calm my fears when his temperature rises these days.
In January 2009 Abraham started to show signs of illness and fever and since Abe was almost four years of age, I didn't think it was necessary to take him all the way to Norfolk to visit his pediatrician. Especially when I thought he would, more than likely, be diagnosed with a common cold. Even though that's what my mind was telling me, my heart wanted to be on the safe side. I decided to take him into the TCH Clinic to see the PA, Derek Nelson.
As we got to the clinic, I noticed how labored Abe's breathing had become and it was the first thing Derek noticed also. Derek was very thorough in trying to find out what the cause of Abe's symptoms was. He made a final diagnosis of RSV and suggested Abe be admitted into the hospital, as he made a call to Abe's pediatrician to keep him informed.
The pediatrician wanted me to bring Abe in to see him before any decisions were made. So, I buckled my miserable baby up and made the trip to Norfolk. After the 25 mile drive and the half an hour wait to see the pediatrician, he spent about two minutes looking my child over before telling me that at Abraham's age he would be able to fight off the RSV because it presents itself as a common cold. I was told to take him home and to try to keep his fever down.
Two hours later, as I held my sleeping baby, watching his labored breathing and feeling the heat come off of his small body; I realized that I couldn't remember if I was told whether or not to watch for signs of his case worsening. So, I called the TCH Clinic to ask. The call was answered by RN, Motanna Mueller who could hear how fast and heavily Abe was breathing through the phone. She immediately made Derek aware of this and came back to the phone saying that Derek said to bring Abe in to the hospital and have him admitted. The night was long, with it being so difficult to start an IV for Abraham since his little body was so close to dehydration. But eventually it was accomplished and Abe was on his way to a full recovery.
Although our former doctor specialized in caring for children and had taken care of Abraham since the first day of his life, his lack of interest in taking the time to be sure that my child was physically capable of fighting off the virus could have been fatal. Derek, on the other hand, showed concern from the moment he walked into the exam room.
Without Derek's willingness to get to the bottom of the problem, God only knows how much worse Abraham's health could have gotten. Our small community clinic and hospital has so much more than what the "Big City Docs" have to offer and that is time and patience.
I will never be able to thank Derek and all of the staff at the Tilden Community Hospital and Clinic enough for the attention and care that my child received. Our family will be forever grateful. God's blessings to all of you."
In January 2009 Abraham started to show signs of illness and fever and since Abe was almost four years of age, I didn't think it was necessary to take him all the way to Norfolk to visit his pediatrician. Especially when I thought he would, more than likely, be diagnosed with a common cold. Even though that's what my mind was telling me, my heart wanted to be on the safe side. I decided to take him into the TCH Clinic to see the PA, Derek Nelson.
As we got to the clinic, I noticed how labored Abe's breathing had become and it was the first thing Derek noticed also. Derek was very thorough in trying to find out what the cause of Abe's symptoms was. He made a final diagnosis of RSV and suggested Abe be admitted into the hospital, as he made a call to Abe's pediatrician to keep him informed.
The pediatrician wanted me to bring Abe in to see him before any decisions were made. So, I buckled my miserable baby up and made the trip to Norfolk. After the 25 mile drive and the half an hour wait to see the pediatrician, he spent about two minutes looking my child over before telling me that at Abraham's age he would be able to fight off the RSV because it presents itself as a common cold. I was told to take him home and to try to keep his fever down.
Two hours later, as I held my sleeping baby, watching his labored breathing and feeling the heat come off of his small body; I realized that I couldn't remember if I was told whether or not to watch for signs of his case worsening. So, I called the TCH Clinic to ask. The call was answered by RN, Motanna Mueller who could hear how fast and heavily Abe was breathing through the phone. She immediately made Derek aware of this and came back to the phone saying that Derek said to bring Abe in to the hospital and have him admitted. The night was long, with it being so difficult to start an IV for Abraham since his little body was so close to dehydration. But eventually it was accomplished and Abe was on his way to a full recovery.
Although our former doctor specialized in caring for children and had taken care of Abraham since the first day of his life, his lack of interest in taking the time to be sure that my child was physically capable of fighting off the virus could have been fatal. Derek, on the other hand, showed concern from the moment he walked into the exam room.
Without Derek's willingness to get to the bottom of the problem, God only knows how much worse Abraham's health could have gotten. Our small community clinic and hospital has so much more than what the "Big City Docs" have to offer and that is time and patience.
I will never be able to thank Derek and all of the staff at the Tilden Community Hospital and Clinic enough for the attention and care that my child received. Our family will be forever grateful. God's blessings to all of you."