What a difference the staff makes!

I’ve mentioned in passing over the last few posts about various hospital staff who have worked with us… but I thought I should devote a full-fledged post to them.

The folks here at the Fetal Care Center of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital have been absolutely incredible! We really mean it. This afternoon, after the procedure was done, Lisa and I were talking and she said, “Because they’ve been so kind and considerate, it makes all the things so much easier to go through.”

Some of the ways they’ve made our life easier this week:

• The receptionist/scheduler made us feel extremely welcome as an appointment was delayed. She let us wait in a very comfortable room and provided drinks for us. Thanks!
• Karen, one of the nurse midwives, spoke to us after (it appeared) coming directly from a surgery. She was kind and answered every question that we had. She even shared some wisdom she has gained as a grandma, too. =)
• Comfortable waiting areas and a movie during the MRI.
• Connie, the tech who did the ultrasound, joked around with us and made the whole experience much more enjoyable.
• Dr. Cnota, the cardiologist, read the results as they were taking place so that he could share his understanding of twin A’s hole in the heart within minutes of the procedure’s completion. He also went above and beyond by participating in the consultation that afternoon.
• Jenny, another nurse midwife, made us feel comfortable with her and willingly called us back last night when we had a question about medication dosing.
• Our two nurses for most of the day – Mel and Lisa 2 – were fantastic. =) I told them I would say something on the site about them, so here it is: wow, what a blessing. Despite a somewhat scary day, we had lots of fun together. Off the bat, we laughed and had a great time. They provided all the pre-surgery prep work. They were there when we were constantly asking questions. Lisa 1 and I were just saying how they’re the type of people we’d want to hang out with outside the hospital, too; if they were closer, we’d want to play cards with them on the weekends. =) I teased them that if they behaved well enough, I might have to name the twins Lissa (short for Melissa, her full name) and Lisa. Lisa 1 thought that might be too confusing, so even though our nurses upheld their end of the bargain… we’ll see about the names. =) Between all the laughs and fun, we had some good, deep conversations, too.
• Our other nurses have been great, too. Lisa 2 was replaced by Lisa 3; Lisa 3 and Melissa were replaced by Gina Marie and Michelle. All have been top notch – they’ve not only provided medical care, but also they have showed truly caring hearts.
• Dr. Lim, the surgeon, has been very helpful in answering all our questions. He stopped by again this evening (at 7:30 or so?) just to check in on us. I’ve commended him several times with sincere “thank you”s… I wish I could say more.

That’s all to say, I sure am thankful to God for the people who have cared for us here. We heard rumors about the prestige of the Cincinnati Children’s hospital… and it’s lived up to it to this point.

Thanks, everyone!
~Jeff