Letter: The Incredibly Difficult Job of Medical Care

My name is Chris Overend and I was brought to Burnaby Hospital on April 2nd, 2019.  Having never spent more than a few hours in a hospital my entire life, I was very scared and very nervous because at the time, I didn’t know what had happened to me! All I knew is that I had experienced some sort of medical emergency. 

When I arrived at the hospital, Dr. Galina Vorobeychik, a staff Neurologist was one of the first people I spoke with.  I could tell immediately that she was very smart and professional, and I instantly felt a bit more relaxed.  I was put through a series of tests, and it was determined that I needed an MRI to figure out exactly what was wrong. 

I’m not proud of this, but when I was put into the MRI, I freaked out and made the technician pull me out. I was having a panic attack and refused to go back in.  Dr. Vorobeychik talked with me, calmed me down and convinced me to try it again by agreeing to stay with me while I was in the MRI. 

With Dr.  Vorobeychik’s help, I was able to get through the MRI, and with the information obtained by the scan she successfully diagnosed that I had suffered a stroke.  Without her help, I would not have been able to get back into that MRI. Dr. Vorobeychik really set the tone for a relaxed feeling that stayed with me for the remainder of my stay in Burnaby hospital. 

“All I knew is that I had experienced some sort of medical emergency.” 

Dr. Maan, one of the Hospitalists visited me several times, and I could tell that she was also very smart and professional as well as very informative. Always calm she answered any questions I had, and generally gave me a feeling that I was in good hands and being well taken care of.  She offered me lots of advice on how to have a successful recovery and how to prevent a recurrence of the same problem. 

After speaking with both doctors, I really felt I was going to make it out of there OK – that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I am a big fan of smart, intelligent, charismatic people, and Burnaby Hospital has these two incredibly smart and intelligent doctors who are an invaluable asset. I don’t think I could have come through this incredibly difficult and stressful situation without the support of the two of them, and I am eternally grateful.  Please pass this message on to them, Thank you Dr. Vorobeychik and Dr. Maan!

From the moment I arrived at Burnaby Hospital, everyone I dealt with was prompt, professional, and made me feel like I was in good hands.  I was discharged from the hospital on April 8th, 2019, and every single person I encountered for the duration of my stay was absolutely fantastic, from nursing staff, to doctors, to administrative staff.  Everyone worked very hard, was very friendly, and as professional as can be. 

I gained an appreciation for how incredibly difficult the job of medical care actually is. I would like to offer a sincere thank you to all the nurses, doctors, and everyone involved in helping me with my recovery. 

Sincerely

Chris Overend, Grateful Patient

P.S.  If there are any spelling or grammatical errors, give me a break, I just had a stroke…