Tag Archives: Doctor’s Clinic

Dr. Halligan, Harrison Medical Center, Lymphedema Update – Part 3 of 3

Thanks to four weeks at Harrison Medical Center Bremerton, Dr. Halligan, Doctor’s Clinic Silverdale and Martha & Mary Rehab Center in Poulsbo and my husband, Chuck, the latest annoying, painful Lymphedema outbreak is almost healed.

I hope with continued use of support stockings, I will never again see the open, painful weeping sores running down my lower legs.

Ignoring edema can lead to nasty painful Lymphedema outbreaks – not a place to go, folks – listen to your doctor.

The last two Lymphedema lesions might have healed months ago had not RLS or whatever the problem is, not raised havoc then and now forcing me to stand and move – the direct opposite of what I needed to do.

Following is Lymphedema By the Month Photos – from September 2011 to date.

And to think – it all started with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease after a forty year smoking history.

Thanks for reading…Sharon O’Hara

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Dr. Halligan and Harrison Medical Center Angels, Part 2 of 3

Sharon O'Hara

Our recent tragic killings and deaths make me doubly grateful for the incredible people and treatment I received from our hometown hospital and staff at Harrison Medical Center.

Those of us who have been patients there over a length of time know Harrison’s greatest assets are in their staff. Their nurses and aides, many named Elizabeth and one each named Joseph and Daniel. Joseph is notable for nursing skills and his uncanny ability to find anything….even a bridge….as in my missing two-tooth bridge. He found it in a little container with “?” on the lid.

Nurse Elizabeth on 3N is only one example of innovative, creative thinking.

Look at the contraption she put together to take the pressure off the bottom of my left calf to lessen the pain of the open weepy lesions and help it heal faster. The devise worked so well that when I was shifted down a floor they wheeled me downstairs right on the bed.

Nurse Sylvia on 3N brought me the Kitsap Sun newspaper every morning she worked. I always knew she was on shift when I awoke and spotted the Sun on my bedside tray. When I was moved to the private room on two – her spirit lifting thoughtful placing of the Kitsap Sun on the bedside table continued and never failed to make me grin in thanks.

A complication was the UW positive testing for MRSA. You do not want it – hospital visitors do not want you to have MRSA either. Gowning up and wearing rubber gloves to visit a friend in the hospital might well cut down on regular hospital visits. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004520/, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735

Dr. Halligan, Doctor’s Clinic in Silverdale, treated my leg daily in the hospital…he never failed to continue his daily treatment and re-wrapping of my lower left leg.

(I am hoping to go home tomorrow from rehab at Martha & Mary’s Rehab Center in Poulsbo. I have not been home in 8 weeks).

More later.

Thanks for reading…. Sharon O’Hara

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Dr. Halligan and Harrison Medical Center Angels, Part 1 of 3

Sharon O'Hara

I am writing this from a hospital bed on the cancer floor at Harrison Medical Center in hope someone will take note what edema can and may do to those who ignore it.

Also, I’m writing in heartfelt thanks to Dr. Halligan, Internist/Surgeon at Silverdale Doctor’s Clinic who saved my life and leg recently by taking over failed treatment for my Lymphedema/Cellulitis/Edema filled legs and painstakingly, day after day treated and changed leg wraps.

Dr. Halligan patiently explained my left leg needed debriding to remove the dead skin, much as burn victims and he couldn’t tell what was under the surface dead skin or how deep the dead tissue went. This four-month pain riddled sleep deprived patient gratefully lay in a bed at Harrison Bremerton 23 hours a day, 7 days a week. Four weeks total this Thursday.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, I am moving to a rehab place for rehabilitation and further healing.

I battled without success since early September the Cellulitis/Edema in my left leg until my right leg reddened with infection and edema and began the water blisters that experience taught would lead to lymph fluid running down my lower legs, scalding the skin it touched and spreading the poison…

Chris Goss, MD, my lung doc at the University of Washington Medical Center straightened out the Restless Leg Syndrome medication problem so I could sleep if the pain eased.

Edema patients – PLEASE – check out the following photos of the latest rise and fall of my edema filled legs and ask yourself if ignoring edema is worth it.

Dr. Halligan – thank you!

More next time on Harrison Medical Center’s Angels in disguise.

….thanks for reading. Sharon O’Hara

Thanks for reading…Sharon O’Hara

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Dear Harrison Medical Center Respiratory Department

Sharon O'Hara

Dear Harrison Medical Center Respiratory Department,

I was late. The reasons I was late don’t matter.

The clock on the back wall read 2:40 pm. The brightly lit room was empty. I peered around the corner where the coffee and ice water were served – the ice water container was full but no one was there. A passer-by told me folks were there earlier.

I waited in the doorway 5 minutes until it was clear no one was coming back before beginning the long walk back down the hall from the Rose Room at Harrison Silverdale and out to the gas guzzler.

I have no complaints…I have questions. In the light of the present day horrific life and death earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan, my comments and questions may seem frivolous.

20 minutes is a lot of time. Japan’s record 9. 0 Earthquake reduced buildings into rubble in less than 20 minutes.

The tsunami that followed scooped up and destroyed miles of buildings, homes, cars and people within 20 minutes.

A doctor can see two or more patients in 20 minutes.

What could I have learned in 20 minutes had anyone been there to teach me?

The Better Breather’s meeting was scheduled for 1:00 – 3:00 pm and no one was there. I understand RT’s respiratory time is valuable and they’re needed but I didn’t see any COPD patients there either.

Why wasn’t the meeting advertised in the Kitsap Sun? Harrison’s MS support group meeting was advertised that same day.

1. Kitsap County has how many pulmonary docs?

2. Capri is a cardiopulmonary rehab group – do they recommend Harrison’s Better Breather’s pulmonary support for their rehab folks?

3. What is the problem?

Are Kitsap lung patients uninterested in further education in living with lung disease? Do they already know all there is to know about lung disease? Or, are they being ignored by the very medical community treating them?

If a support group is advertised to be available during certain hours, they should not leave early. In the years I had a business we advertised being open until 9:00 pm and someone was always there until closing. People knew they could count on those open hours for business.

If pulmonary patients aren’t interested in support group learning and education, there is no point in wasting valuable respiratory employee time from Harrison in meetings no one shows up for.

If the problem is getting the word out then do it!

The Old Guy and I will hand deliver flyers promoting the next Better Breather’s meeting to every heart and respiratory doctor’s office in Kitsap County – if that’s what it takes. I will even print them out if you send me the file in something other than a dat. file.

In turn, stay open and available for the hours you state you will be there. Regular business folks do.

I could have learned a lot in that 20 minutes no one was there. Maybe I did.

I just learned that according to the Yellow Pages in the Kitsap Peninsula “dexknows.com”- the – to July 2011 edition- has only one M.D. is listed under “Lung (Pulmonary)” –page 417.

Doctors Clinic – Kittredge A. Baldwin, D.O. and Benjamin Sy, M.D. on Wheaton Way, Bremerton are the only pulmonary doctor’s listed – why aren’t the doctor’s off Campbell Way listed? Did they change their specialty?

More later… Sharon O’Hara

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