Patients in a pandemic
By RACHEL BAIRD
& KRISTA MELONE
For the TODAY
I
n the middle of a pandemic, a
discussion about “everyday health”
and the medical community tends
to take a backseat to the more pressing
questions surrounding the spread of a
new virus. However, as many of us are
realizing, the impact COVID-19 has
had on medical practice nationwide is
far-reaching. From elective surgeries
that have been postponed, to blood
drives being canceled and increased
concern about routine visits; the
coronavirus has altered many aspects
of the health care industry.
One family I spoke to, who would
like to remain unnamed, experienced
a long delay with an elective surgery
at a hospital in California. Th e patient
says that after suff ering for years due
to chronic debilitating spinal and
nerve pain, it was defl ating when he
received the call from his surgeon that
a procedure which could potentially
bring much relief was being postponed
While he says his immediate family
reacted with instant relief, because of
their concern regarding the spread of
the virus, the additional two-month
set back was discouraging, His wife
ABOVE: A child wearing a face mask waits to see a doctor at a checkup. BELOW: Completion
of the new Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City coincided with the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
agreed. “Watching my spouse living
with constant pain was disheartening,”
she said, “knowing there was nothing I
could do to help ease his pain”.
Th e patient told me that the new
practices involving visitors were
12 • oregoncoastTODAY.com • facebook.com/oregoncoasttoday • June 19, 2020
diffi cult to wrap his head around. Th e
day of his surgery, his wife dropped
him at the entrance of the hospital
and then went home to just wait for
news through text and phone calls.
Because she had no family nearby, the
wait alone at home seemed to go on
forever; and her mind would wander
to all the things that go wrong. When
the patient had an adverse reaction
to medication following the surgery,
a very disorienting call to his wife
left everyone feeling helpless as she
tried to explain to the nurses what
was happening. After three days in
the hospital following the surgery,
the patient was allowed to return
home, and met his wife at the same
entrance she had dropped him off
at days before. Post-op recovery also
looks diff erent, as his physical therapy
is put on hold for a time to reduce his
risk of COVID-19 exposure so soon
after surgery. Th is leaves much of the
recovery responsibility solely on the
patient and his wife.
Meanwhile, at the Oregon
Coast, Lesley Ogden, MD, CEO of
Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital
and Samaritan Pacifi c Communities
Hospital, said the Samaritan network
is aware of how crucial elective
surgeries can be.
See Page 13