Meagan Kelly
June 2023
Meagan
Kelly
,
NP
Cardiology
VA Boston Healthcare System
West Roxbury
,
MA
United States

 

 

 

Being nervous and scared for my procedures I was already very anxious, but I was also so worried about my wife going home alone with nobody to help her since I am her caregiver. Knowing that Meagan calmed her down was such a relief for me.
For months I kept on denying my cardiologist about getting a nuclear stress test since I have a history of anxiety and panic attacks, and with my past stress test I feel that all they do is cause me more anxiety, my cardiologist finally convinced me that I need to get the test. Today I am having my Nuclear stress test, I am feeling nervous, stressed, and very ill, I get the IV then have the 1st Ct Scan done, now it is time for my physical part of the test, while sitting in the room and the technician is prepping me I go on and on about my anxiety and how nervous I am, then from across the room at her desk I here Meagan speak up introducing herself and letting me know exactly every step of the test that will be done and that I am in a place that if anything was to happen to me I would be taken care of immediately, she calmed me down with just the caring way that she spoke to me and explained.

I continued forward with the test, about to get on the treadmill able to calm down a bit to the point that I was able to get a few small laughs before getting on, once on the treadmill Meagan stood beside me letting me know each step how I was doing and what was happening. To me, knowing how things are calms me some.

Once done with the test Meagan let me know that there may have been something that showed up at the end of my test and she wanted to compare notes with my Ct Scan results. While sitting in the waiting room seeing others discharged by the technician I then see Meagan come out, she called me over, then seeing my wife in the chair asked me if I wanted her to be there, I was happy she did because I always need support when given the slightest bad news. Meagan went on to tell me the results letting me know that I may have to go for catheterization to get a better picture of what is going on inside, she was going to contact my cardiologist and I would be contacted.

A week later I showed up at the hospital for my catheterization, so nervous that I did not think I was going to stay, I was taking it a step at a time going from labs, to X-Ray to EKG to echo, after waiting a while at echo Meagan came out, she apparently knew I was there and came down from the nuclear stress test dept to help me through it, she then had me, my wife, and my daughter go with her and she brought us up to the cardiac floor where my procedures would be done, on the way she talked to the 3 of us letting up know what is going to happen step by step and helping to calm me a little, I got into pre-op and then the team there took over. At that point, I thought Meagan had left the dept and gone back to the stress testing center, NO, later that day my wife let me know that while sitting there in the waiting room, and being scared or what was going on with me, Meagan showed up multiple times to let her know what was going happening.

I had my procedure done and was taken to my room, I asked my wife to then go home because it was a long day for her and she has a lot of medical problems herself. Later that night my wife let me know that Meagan called her to see how she was doing and to let her know how I was doing and what to expect the next day when I was to go in for another procedure, she also let her know what to expect once I was home. My wife let me know that she was so happy that Meagan called her and helped her to calm down. Being nervous and scared for my procedures I was already very anxious, but I was also so worried about my wife going home alone with nobody to help her since I am her caregiver. Knowing that Meagan calmed her down was such a relief for me. Not many people go out of their way to help others in this way, most medical professionals just give you the test you are there for and send you on your way, not Meagan, she made sure that myself and my wife were up to date and ok with everything that was going on.

Thank you Meagan, there should be more people like you in all medical facilities, when people are sick they do not need more grief from those that are supposed to be helping them, they need care the way you give it.