I will put this question to a vote. Note: I did register for the Bone Marrow Registry as a donor years ago and updated it recently. No one has ever called me, but I'm willing to do it if it is needed. It is true what the last person said, it is hard to put a story about saving someone's life into writing, but I can tell you about an experience that I had while still in nursing school.
I had a patient that was admitted to the hospital after falling and breaking her hip. She was scheduled for surgery to have her hip repaired the following day. She was pleasant although a little confused as to how she had broken her hip and what she was doing in the hospital.
The following day, I had this patient again and entered the room to help her get ready for the surgery. I noticed that her speech was very slurred and she was highly confused and agitated. I also notice that her right arm was bent very close to her chest and she could not move it, even when I tried to help her move it to change her gown.
I approached my supervising nurse immediately and told her that I think this patient has had a stroke. We looked back into the notes and saw that there was no documentation supporting my claim. Although there was mention in the nursing notes that she was confused and agitated all evening and into the night and she was "favoring" her right arm. They had sedated her in the evening.
I finally convienced my supervising nurse to consult a doctor about the situation, so she doubtfully called the surgeon scheduled for the surgery as well as the doctor on call, and pointed out that a nursing student is insisting that a patient had a stroke and although she was doubtful, could they come and take a look.
The patient went through several tests, and it was confirmed that she had in fact had several small strokes that no one else had picked up on, and there was no way they could preform the surgery until they had her stable.
As you can imagine, I was a lowly nursing student that picked up on symptoms that no one else had, and this patient could have died in the OR, if the strokes had gone unnoticed. I gained a lot of respect that day. This is why this story sticks out in my mind, it helped me build confidence in my knowledge and skills as a nurse. Advertisement
Metro Detroit
TRIUMPHS: A stranger who saved a life
April 18, 2006
Email this Print this To become a donor
The intent of bone marrow transplants is to permanently remove leukemia cells from the body, said Dr. Stephen Forman, director of City of Hope's Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation department.
Forman, who performed Sandra Sholkoff's transplant, said the donor's bone marrow converts the gender of the recipient's blood cells and changes his or her blood type, with the effect of eliminating cancerous cells.
For information about joining the marrow donor registry, call 800-627-7692 during business hours, or go to the registry's Web site at www.marrow.org.
For information about City of Hope Cancer Center, call 800-826-4673 during business hours or see the Web site at www.cityofhope.org.
Naomi R. Patton
Name Roger Winkelman
Saving a life Winkelman, 51, of Bloomfield Hills and Sandra Sholkoff, 67, of Woodland Hills, Calif., have never met face-to-face but they're about as close as two people can be. In June 2004, Winkelman emerged from a pool of 50 possible donors nationwide as a perfect bone marrow match for Sholkoff, who was suffering from acute myeloid leukemia. Since then, they have spoken at least twice by phone. "I thanked him for saving my life," Sholkoff said.
Decision to donate "It was a no-brainer if I could save somebody's life," said Winkelman, an attorney and the son of Stanley Winkelman of Winkelman's chain of women's clothing stores. Having donated blood since he was 21, Roger Winkelman said he registered years ago for the National Marrow Donor Program.Registry.
After a thorough physical, and weeks of shots preparing his body for the transplant, Winkelman's bone marrow was drawn at Harper Hospital.
About the illness For Sholkoff, a grandmother, the ordeal began when a routine physical in January 2002 revealed a low white blood cell count. She was diagnosed with leukemia that July. After chemotherapy treatments and a brief remission, the leukemia returned by December 2003. Sholkoff, devastated, finally sought a bone marrow transplant at City of Hope Cancer Center in California.
The meeting The two finally will meet Friday at the City of Hope Cancer Center's 30th annual Celebration of Life Bone Marrow Transplant Survivor Reunion in Duarte, Calif., just east of Los Angeles.
Encouragement for others Sholkoff said one of her sons has signed up for the bone marrow registry and she hopes more people will do so. "Here's this wonderful man who saved the life of a stranger," she said. "Things today are fine. I'm doing everything that I did before. It's truly a miracle."
How to sign up To join the National Marrow Donor Program.Registry, call 800-627-7692 or go to the registry's Web site at www.marrow.org.
By Naomi R. Patton during emergency duty saved many . saving life can not be a story for a person who saved life it is an experience remains deep in the layers of brain life long. You forgot one major player in this life saving thing we love to do... The Respiratory Therapist! When that patients crashing the first one the R.N.'s & M.D.'s call for (usually STAT overhead is the R.T.) Out in the field the EMT's and Paramedics ROCK.
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But I have to agree with the wiseone! Deep answer.
WOW!!! I got all misty eyed. |
