A Patient Nurse

“ I was a ticking time bomb,” says Terry Francis, Clinical Nurse Manager of Labor and Delivery at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital. “And I was prepared for the risks with my surgery. What I wasn’t prepared for was the amazing care I received here as a patient; it’s overwhelming.”

In a routine physical, Terry discovered that her carotid artery was almost completely blocked — she was at danger for a stroke at any time. She quickly scheduled her surgery.

When she awoke, she knew all was not well. Terry was paralyzed on her left side, with a terrible headache. “Everything became a race after that,” she recalls. Terry was moved to the Intensive Care Unit and put on a ventilator and then to the Intermediate Care Unit. She also spent two weeks in rehabilitation.

Her recovery was “amazing,” she says, from wheelchair to walker to cane in just a few weeks. Terry had known the potential risks of her surgery. “It’s always a possibility,” she explains. But nothing could have prepared her for the care her hospital offered to her as a patient.

“The encouragement and support throughout the entire hospital. They just couldn’t do enough for me and my family. Many people didn’t know I was a nurse. So I know every patient gets this kind of attention.”

Today, Terry’s back to work full time. And she’s so impressed with her hospital. “We’ve always said we focus on caring for the whole person, the whole family. This proved it to me. I can’t imagine working anywhere else.”

How You Can Help

Interested in helping patients like Terry and all the others being treated in our Intensive Care Unit? Contact the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Foundation at (240) 826-6570 to learn more about our giving opportunities and how your gracious contribution can be best directed to help.

We Want to Hear From You

Do you have a story that you would like to share with us? Tell us about your experience at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital to inspire others and help us recognize the efforts of those who made a difference in your life!