Our patient quickly became a special patient to all of us, but especially to Bill.  He took lots of extra time with her at each appointment just to be sure she understood all the education, even though she was not all that excited about the new food plan Bill was suggesting that she use.  She loved her salt and all the salty foods; her favorites were ham and cheese.  Bill decided, with the patient’s daughters’ help and approval, to make a month’s worth of low sodium or sodium-free food.

So Bill and his wife (who is a retired nurse) went to the grocery store and started preparing congestive heart failure healthy meals and froze them, so all the patient had to do was remove them from the freezer and heat them up.  This was so very much appreciated by the patient and family.

The patient continued to come in for her regular checks and soon she started to decline and eventually started to have some issues with dementia.  Bill would schedule this patient whenever it was convenient for her and as often as necessary.  We all became so attached, as we do with all our patients, but the bond that was built over several years with this patient was amazing.  Bill became her ‘adopted’ son, she would say.  The patient’s family felt so secure with the care she received that Bill would often call and check on the patient even on weekends or holidays when the patient was especially ill.

The patient has since passed away and it was a difficult loss.  Bill attended her funeral.  He went from being a “get them in and treat them” to a “get them in and get to know them” and care for the patient on a whole different level. He truly cares and is just a wealth of knowledge.  He is so very deserving of this recognition.