I was watching the Super Bowl when I passed out.
No, it wasn’t because my Patriots had fallen behind (I’m a Boston native)—it was due to a few weeks of bronchitis that I couldn’t shake and unbeknownst to me, had turned into the flu.
A Trip to the Emergency Department
A visit to the emergency room led to a search for a hospital bed, and because other facilities were full, I found myself the first male patient treated at WakeMed North, what I thought was just a women’s hospital.
I loved it because it annoyed the soul out of my wife!
But I also loved it because the E.R. was excellent, the nursing care was excellent and the whole experience was excellent. I got top notch care and the facility was gorgeous.
Impressive Emergency Room Care
My wife, Anmarie, also was very impressed with the emergency room care I received, and said my room “was the most beautiful room I’ve ever seen in a hospital.” She told me, “Honey, if you wanted to go away, you could have just told me.”
My wife raves about the staff, as well, but I found them to be a bit stern – they wouldn’t even let me take a shower! My nurse said I wasn’t steady enough on my feet. So I found myself mostly trying to talk the nurses out of everything they said I couldn’t do. Still, they were wonderful and caring.
Making History at WakeMed North
I was only in the hospital for one night and two days, but that was enough to be a trailblazer, at least for a short time. I was trained as a nurse, and although I haven’t done bedside nursing in a long time,
I was the first man in my family to go into nursing and I inspired two male cousins and my daughter to follow me into the profession.
As for the Super Bowl – what a glorious ending! I didn’t see it at the time, but my son taped it for me, and I watched it later. I wish I’d seen it in real time, but I was too busy making WakeMed history!
About Stephen Petrycki
Stephen “Steve” Petrycki is a 60-year-old pharmaceutical researcher who lives in North Raleigh with his wife, Anmarie. In his free time, Steve likes to do yard work.
About WakeMed North Hospitalist Services
To meet the growing needs of the North Raleigh community, WakeMed North Family Health & Women’s Hospital now provides exceptional hospital services to men who may need overnight care with the addition of our new 24/7 Internal Medicine hospitalist program.
This new offering complements the comprehensive services already available to the entire family through our Women’s Hospital (the only one of its kind in Wake County), 24/7 emergency department, outpatient lab, imaging and day surgery services as well as the variety of private physician practices available on campus.
Submit Your WakeMed Story
Interested in sharing your WakeMed patient story? Send us an email at info@wakemed.org.
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