My wife of 17 years was recently blindsided with a colon cancer diagnosis at age 44. It was by chance that we were alerted to her cancer. She recently lost her brother and the stress caused her to have gastro issues. One morning she woke up in a pool of blood. We went to the emergency department and the physician advised us to see a gastroenterologist. We had what we thought would be a routine colonoscopy for an internal hemorrhoid bleed but instead, they found a mass. We were scheduled for surgery at CentraState Medical Center.
One of my wife's nurses was Mary Aguilar. She is responsive, diligent, and helpful. She has a bright personality that makes you feel like she will help in any way she can. She gives you a sense that she will take ownership and the request will conclude quickly. She was also helpful with her guidance about pain management as she was in a lot of pain. Through her guidance, we were able to make the best decisions to get her off narcotics while still managing her pain. Mary applies her knowledge and communication skills to help people move forward, providing the confidence and the support needed to manage pain and encourage people to heal. We are grateful for Mary and she is a compassionate professional. She exemplifies one true basic element of humanity, compassionately caring for people when they cannot help themselves.