How expert care delivered with deep compassion saved Sarah Johnson’s life

Sarah Johnson woke up one night last March feeling something was off.

The next day, as she was driving home from running an errand, she began to feel excruciating cramps and pain radiating throughout her back. The normally unfaltering Sarah relayed to her husband Mike that the intensity of her pain was worse than giving birth without pain meds, something she’d done four times.

Mike drove her directly to the Providence St. Mary Medical Center emergency department, where, upon hearing her pain level, the alert and attentive charge nurse started ordering tests. As director of planned giving for Providence St. Mary Medical Center Foundation, Mike knew the hospital well. But this time, he was there not as a team member, but as a concerned husband.

Tests came back positive for a severe case of diverticulitis. When Trauma Medical Director Paul Wisniewski, M.D., saw her results, he suspected something even more dangerous. The dye contrast CT scan confirmed that Sarah’s diverticulitis had progressed to a perforated colon. The rupture had led to sepsis, a life-threatening condition requiring immediate intervention.

Going above and beyond

Throughout the ordeal, Sarah found comfort and reassurance in the capable hands of her nurses, doctors and support staff. “They took my symptoms seriously and they wanted to get to the bottom of it,” says Sarah. “I was terrified going into surgery. The OR nurse held my hand. He told me, ‘We’re going to take good care of you.’ As I was going to sleep, he was praying with me. He gave me such peace.” Sarah met David Uresti, RN, just a few weeks later at a community event, and recognized his voice as the nurse who had prayed with her before her surgery.

Following the surgery, Sarah spent five days in the hospital. When Mike brought the couple’s worried children in to visit, they were alarmed by all of the wires and machines. “The kids started crying and my nurse took charge,” remembers Sarah. “She said, ‘See all these cords? They all have a good purpose. You can ask me about any of them if you’re curious.” The nurse proceeded to answer questions and put the kids at ease.

A grateful Sarah recalls that her caregivers were caring and compassionate. “So many of the ED, OR and ICU nurses and staff went above and beyond,” says Sarah. “My hands were swollen, and I was worried they were going to have to cut my wedding ring off. An ICU nurse spent 30 minutes gently working it off with lubricant and string.”

Mission made personal

For Mike, the experience was revelatory. “I’ve always known the impact of our work,” he says. “But this was different. I saw it from the other side. I saw how our caregivers live the mission.”

Mike stayed by Sarah’s side throughout her stay, witnessing firsthand the coordinated, compassionate approach that defines Providence St. Mary. Thanks to early intervention and a dedicated care plan, Sarah is now well on the road to recovery.

Sarah and Mike hope their story reminds others in the High Desert just how essential Providence St. Mary is to the community. “We don’t like to think about what could have happened if she’d had to travel for this kind of care,” says Mike. “Providence St. Mary is a lifeline.”