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Family thankful for hospital care

By Marcia Mcfarlane - | Nov 20, 2006

Dennis Wedel is thankful for a lot of things. He has a devoted wife, three wonderful sons and a successful career. But for him, this Thanksgiving is more poignant than ever. This Thanksgiving, he is thankful for his life.

Wedel, 55, awakened in the early hours of last Dec. 31 with a bolt of pain shooting through his chest and back. His wife, Debby, became especially alarmed when he complained of trouble breathing. She determined that she could get him to Lawrence Memorial Hospital faster than the ambulance could find its way to their rural Tonganoxie home. The eight-mile trip seemed surreal, as they made their way to the emergency room.

What happened next, some people would call a miracle, others a stroke of good luck. The Wedels call it sophisticated medical technology at its best, administered by a highly capable and caring hospital staff. Dennis was quickly admitted to the emergency department, where diagnostic imaging revealed an aortic aneurysm, a weak spot on the wall of the body’s largest artery. One layer of the aortic wall was torn, with a tear in progress to the second layer. Should the third layer tear, the result would be sudden death. No sooner had the diagnosis been made, than a Life Flight crew appeared to fly him directly to a hospital in Kansas City, Mo. Immediate surgical repair of the aneurysm took place, as well as repair to a defective heart valve that had gone undetected.

Nearly a year after their harrowing experience, Debby still reacts emotionally when discussing the impact of the episode on their lives. She said it was probably for the best that she didn’t realize until after the incident how easily the situation could have had a catastrophic ending. About 15,000 Americans die suddenly each year from ruptured aortic aneurysms. Debby credits the LMH staff with saving her husband’s life.

“When we needed help the most, everything just fell into place,” she said. “They had the technology we needed to find the problem, a knowledgeable doctor to read the results and the ability to take action as quickly as possible.”

Debby said the best thing about the experience was the personal care the hospital staff provided to Dennis.

“During the whole ordeal, they treated him like he was somebody they really cared about,” she said, adding that one nurse, Stephanie Black, was particularly attentive. “She stayed with Dennis while he was waiting for Life Flight, talking to him and keeping his spirits up.”

Especially impressive was the fact that LMH staff called the hospital in Kansas City to check on Dennis’ post-surgery condition.

Today, the Wedels not only appreciate more fully each day they have together with their sons, Tony, Brett and Kyle, but they are now passionate supporters of Lawrence Memorial Hospital. As the non-profit institution extends its campaign to the Tonganoxie area, the Wedels want to help by sharing their story and the message that Lawrence Memorial is definitely their hospital of choice in a life-or-death crisis.

“I encourage the community to give 100 percent support to the project,” Debby said. “It is the best hospital in the area for providing personal care.”