Taking Care of Mom: December 2006

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Attention Mayo Clinic Employee Administration/ Human Resources
Dated February 13,2006

From: Baidwatie Rita Lecoin

To Whom It May Concern,

My name is Baidwatie Rita Lecoin. I have been a patient at Mayo Clinic since May of 2004. Previous to my coming to the clinic, I have had many traumatic experiences at many of the “top” Illinois hospitals. I am writing this letter to express gratitude to all of the excellent physicians and employees who have greatly contributed to my healing and recovery.
In 2005 I participated in the “Stories of The Heart Program”. I was honored to speak to all of the Mayo and St. Mary’s employees to show them that they were the reason why I was still alive and recovering. I was invited by Dr. Sharonne Hayes and Nurse Practitioner Dalene Bott-Kitslaar. Dr. Sharonne and Dalene were instrumental in helping my heart get better. My ejection fraction was first 15% when I came to Mayo and now it is a normal 65% ! Their efforts made it possible for me to be placed on the kidney transplant list. Her secretary Bonnie was always very welcoming in all of my visits to Mayo. At the “Stories of The Heart” I met two fantastic employees that really made me feel like family. Charlene Tri and Cathy Atwel pushed me around in my wheelchair and catered to my every need. They ran and conducted the program in such an outstanding manner, I felt privileged to take part in the event with them at my side.
They are an excellent asset to your cardiovascular team. Doug Parks , Dr. Phil ( host), Dr. David Hayes ( moderator), Phil McAteer and Traci Klein in communications were also very caring and did a magnificent job in the program.
As you read on in this letter you will see so many more people I wish to thank. I am asking that no one go unnoticed. I want to preframe you that I am not just writing down all of the names of the people who took care of me. Rather I am noting the genuine exceptional care given by all of the individuals named in this letter. Each person that I am about to list has gone above and beyond the call of their duty. They took every measure to execute the highest care I have ever seen in my entire life. I worked in healthcare as a certified nurses aid/ phlebotomist for over 25 years. I have seen many healthcare employees and physicians. All of the people named in this letter are simply the best.
They are an asset to your clinic. Through their efforts, they have enhanced the quality of my life and I am sure of many, many others who have met them.
I feel truly blessed to have met each of these individuals. I will never forget them.
They will always be held in my highest regard.

Eisenberg Nephrology:
Dr. Amy Williams
Charlene ( secretary)
Thank You for always taking the time to hear my concerns, for riding through my tests with me, and for explaining matters about my renal health so well.

Cardiovascular:
Dr. Raymond Shields
Thank You for saving my life.!

Page Two Continued

Vascular Radiology
Patty Engel RN/PE
Thank You for making me feel at ease and doing my test so well.

During my 7-week stay for kidney transplant as of 12/13/05

Kidney Transplant Surgeon
Dr. Mikel Prieto
Thank You for saving my life !

Intensive Care Unit Nurses
Jessica Stanley RN 12/14 nights
Heather Hoke RN, 12/14 days
Jean Wiersgalla – cath team
Katie Truman, RN - 12/14 days

Thank you for your timely care and attention to detail.

Infusion Therapy Center
Richard Allen RN
Ed Gick RN
Sheila Rudolph RN
Ruth Seaquist RN
Dr. Rick Nishimara

You went above and beyond the call of duty with my temp-cath care and iv treatments.
Thank you for making me feel like you were taking care of a cherished family member. This was more than I could ever hope for. Every day I met a warm wonderful face with kind supportive words. You made me feel so at ease with my treatments and care. Thank You !

ALL OF CHARLTON DESK LA BLOOD DRAW
I am a difficult stick. Every morning, You always got it right the first time and I never felt any pain. Thank you !

Kidney Tranplant Doctors Charlton Desk 10A
Dr. Timothy Larsen M.D.
Dr. Patrick Dean M.D
Dr. Burcin Tanser M.D.
Dr. Doerr
Thank You for saving my life ! Thank you for treating me so well as a patient during my emergency issues at Rochester Methodist Transplant 10-2.
Dr. Amer Hatem
Thank you for your going out of your way to lend an extra helping hand to me and for your prompt follow though with my results.
Dr. Gregory Merten
Thank you for taking the time and attention to answer my questions and concerns
thank you for your prompt follow through and care.
Dr. Latonya Hickson
Thank you for your meticulous evaluations and insightful appointments. A pleasure to have you partcipate in my care.

Physician Assistants
K. Francois, PA
T. Fettes, PA

Thank you for all of your time and hard work during my recovery.

Transplant Nurse Coordinators
Charise Bauer RN, BAN
Deb Dicke-Henslen RN,BSN
Norma Sherwood RN,BSN

Thank You for always taking the time to speak to me and comfort me. You are all genuinely sweet and caring nurses.

All 10-2 Nurses involved in my patient care.
Thank you for helping me through my recovery. I genuinely appreciate all of you
Who assisted me during my stay 12/13 – 12/23 ( and most recently in February 2006). I was not able to get all of your names. For those who took care of me and I did not get your name, I am sorry.
These were the names that I could remember during my care and recovery. All of the nurses treated me very well and made me feel like I was being well taken care of. I was so weak and sick and all of you took care of me and did not hesitate to go the extra mile to help me.

Sarah Leisseter
Leah Haehn
Stacey Hecker
Jan Clark
Alexandra Amick
Lora Swank
Kaye Lindberg
Marylin
Tracey
Jasmin

. The story of my health challenges and recovery is in the makings for a case study book. My daughter is currently working with a publisher to get the publication ready for print and distribution. It has been a long and winding road. Mayo Clinic has been the destination of well being for all of my health concerns. Every individual that I meet who is ill or well I tell them to come to Mayo clinic. You will be treated like royalty.

With Eternal Gratitude,

Ms. Baidwatie Rita Lecoin

A Letter To Mayo Patient Affairs About

To: Mayo Clinic Office of Patient AffairsFrom: Joanna Ammons- daughter of patient Baidwatie Lecoin
My Mother had been hospitalized for three weeks as of 6/13/06.She was facing the possibility of having a below knee amputation on her right foot.I was overcome with worry and seeking alternative resources to regain circulation in her feet to opt for a less drastic surgical alternative to preserve her leg and keep her ambulatory.To my suprise, I learned through, Dr. John Filip( Bryn Mawr Hospital, PA)That under my nose was the safe haven I had been so desperately seeking.Dr. Thom Rooke, Cardiovascular Chair ( Gonda 4 South), has state of the art resources available in the Circulator Boot Clinic. His wonderful nurse,Cindy Felty and his excellent staff Jim, Tanya, and Sandy took care of her needs immediately. This was most miraculous since my initial contact occured on a Sunday ( the holiday weekend) July, 2nd. Since my mother has been treated in this department, a marked improvement has been noticed in her right foot and healty tissue is observable.
My only wish is that this resource was made known to me directly by the residents/staff that had previously treated her at St. Mary's from the onset of her blue toe syndrome back in April of 2006. She had some boot therapy at St. Mary's in April but, this was no where on the eqivocal level of resources and education provided by Dr. Thom Rooke and his staff. I had to make phone calls practically around the world to find out about Dr. Thom Rooke. When in fact, my mother had been a patient here at Mayo and no one I spoke with here had been " in the know" about the remarkable happenings in the Circulator Boot Clinic. In fact, the more I asked, the more I was discouraged from investigating. I was even told, " You probably wouldn't get in any way, he is always full."Yes, Dr. Rooke is remarkably busy. We are fortunate that he made the time to work my mother into his department. His optimism and his ability to do whatever it takes to help her is most outstanding.
My goal is to utlize my resources as a writer to spread the word about this team.
I have several plans in motion which include a website journalizing her care and to write articles for print.
I will update you as to the progress of my endeavors in this area.You will find that I can be extremely tenacious in sharing my joy with the world, as to my mother's progress under the care of Dr. Thom Rooke and his terrific staff.
I would like to close this letter by stating. I have observed the amazing way that Dr. Thom Rooke, Cindy Felty, Jim, Tanya and Sandy have shown excellence in giving care in this department. They help so many people every day. I admire their devotion to this treatment. I can only hope that Mayo Clinic will give these individuals the special attention they deserve.
Respectfully,
J.M. Ammons

Transplant Work Up Went Well

Yesterday we had mom's transplant annual visit. It has been one year since she successfully received her kidney transplant. I remember lifting 40 pounds of dialysis fluid to hook her up to her at home peritoneal dialysis machine for over 3 years. Sometimes I still wake up to check on a dialysis machine that is no longer there. She is doing very well. Her Labs look good.
We are awaiting some more lab results and will update you on how the rest of her appointments go this week.

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Thank You Mayo Women's Heart Health Clinic - Rochester MN

Our First journey to Mayo Clinic was on 5/17/2004.
My mother had a low ejection fraction. She needed to receive a cardiac clearance to be placed on the kidney transplant list.
Her doctors in the Womens Heart Clinic at Mayo, helped her to feel well again and her recent electrocardiogram results shows good results.
My mother was blessed with being assigned to Dr. Sharonne Hayes and her assistant and Nurse Practicioner, Dalene Bott- Kittslaar.
In "Taking Care Of Mom", it is described in detail how Dr. Hayes helped improve my mother's heart function. She made it possible for her to be well to be placed on the kidney transplant list. We are forever greatful for knowing her and Dalene.
We would like to thank the following doctors who particpated in the care of her heart:
Dr. Sharonne Hayes,
Dalene Bott-Kittslaar( nurse practicioner and assistant to Dr. Hayes), Dr. Raymond Shields, Dr. Amy Williams.
My mother had 3 angiograms at St. Mary's Mayo Hospital. The doctors and nursing team there give superior care and were extremely attentive to her.
Dr. Raymond Shields helped care for my mother when she has a blood clot in her right hand and helped her to save her fingers when a hospital in Illinois wanted to remove them.
Dr. Amy Williams helped us through many difficulties with dialysis and dealing with the many mysteries of end stage renal disease. Her intervention helped my mother to feel better while on dialysis.

Thank You Circulator Boot Corporation

Thank You
Joe Mackowski
Maggie Macguiren Of Circulator Boot Corporation

You didn't know me from Adam, yet,you took all the time in the world to help a total stranger calling you from off the internet to help save her mother from an amputation.
You helped point me in the right direction.
You educated me about The Circulator Boot
( http://www.circulatorboot.com/).

You helped refer
me to:
Dr. Thom W. Rooke, Dr. Steven J. Kavros, Dr. John Filip (Bryn Mawr Hospital Philadephia), Dr. Horowitz ( Diabetic Foot Clinic, Jacksonville Florida).

You work so hard each day to help people save their life and limb. My goal is to tell every doctor I meet about how wonderful you are.

Another intregal part of her foot open wound healing was
Mist Therapy by Celleration Inc. (www.Celleration.com) .

Thank You Mayo Gonda 4 Circulation Boot Department

We wish to thank Dr. Thom W. Rooke,
Head Section of Vascular Medicine Gonda Vascular Center, Krehbiel Professor of Vascular Medicine Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.

We also wish to thank Dr. Steven J. Kavros, Associate Professor, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.

Thanks to their intervention her two toe amputation has almost completely healed through circulation boot therapy and MIST Therapy by Celleration, Inc (www.Celleration.com) . She was formerly a candidate for a below knee amputation. We decided against having amputation.

Dr. Rooke and Dr. Kavros has carefully monitored and cared for my mother. Each day as I see her foot, I feel blessed to know she has two great doctors treating her. They have helped save her leg.

They have a wonderful team working in the circulation boot therapy room dedicated to helping people.

We wish to thank many of the team members.

Cindy Felty( Nurse and Assistant to Dr. Rooke),Tanya Oberg(physical therapist), James Ross(physical medicine technician, Steve Hanna( physical therapist,Sandy Wood, Linda Koski, Andrea Bradford, Sarah Ferdin, Melissa Redig. We have not yet named all of the team members. Please check back for more names to be added to this list.

We wish to thank Mary Ellen Easley for her excellent follow-up of monitoring my mother's coumadin levels.
This is essential with preventing further blood clots.
We also wish to thank Paul Denziel ( Charlton 9) of the infectious disease divsion. He followed my mother closely in the beginning, monitoring her white blood cell count and her antibiotics which helped with infection control while her wound was healing.

Why I created this page.

I built this page to spread the word about caring for a mother with several complex health issues, My mother has cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, diabetes, blood thinning issues, and is a kidney transplant recipient as of 12/14/05. Since her illnesses onset in fall of 2003. I have worked diligently to advocate for proper medical care. Being from Chicago,Illinois a place with 8 teaching hospitals. We chose to leave to go several states away to Mayo Clinic
( Rochester, MN).

In Illinois we had nothing but medical heart ache and dealt with medical service providers who had little or no answers.

Illinois had too poorly trained phelebotismists and nurses making egregious errors that almost killed my mother.

I can breathe easier having her medical care at Mayo Clinic. Visiting Mayo speaks for itself. It is crowded year round, through rain sleet or snow. The license plates of people driving from all over the United States and the buses carrying people from all over the world to the clinic.

I do not want for anyone to endure the suffering we have been through. Do not let an inexperienced doctor tell you that you have to accept a droppping heart ejection fraction. You do not have to have doctors constantly tell you with coldness " Well your kidney has already failed so the drugs won't harm you."

You deserve to be treated like you are going to live instead of being treated like you are going to die.

I am passionate about bird dogging big pharma and AMA to be treated with being presented with all of my options, not just the options that my insurance will cover.

In addition we fought to avoid a below knee amputation. We learned that amputation is not a sole option. You have other options to save your leg. Research, learn and advocate.