It is unusual to do this but I am going to do it because institutions like the one I am going to talk about in this review is an essential part of society; an establishment expected to offer the best customer service as it is their mandate to make every person’s stay as a comfortable as possible.
No, I am not talking about a hotel.
I am talking about a hospital: the Kalispell Regional Medical Center or KRMC.
For this review, I am going to touch on the ambiance and facilities, the freebies, and the room service. And then, I will go into a detailed account of how the nurses of KRMC’s OB and Delivery Department took care of me – and essentially my family – during the time of my admission, in time for the delivery of Jeffrey Peter Jr.
Ambiance and Facilities
I’ve been in and out of this hospital for about three months as I underwent tests on my blood glucose, non-stress test for my baby, and childbirth education classes which I attended with Jeff.
The reception area has a welcoming vibe as someone is always on standby ready to assist you for whatever concern you may have. The long hallway from the reception/admission area leading to the OB department is well lit – no horror movie kind of feel, thank you very much.
As you walk through that hallway, you pass by conference halls (where the classes we attended were held) and offices so you are very much assured that there are live, breathing human beings in there, not slouching and moaning zombies.
We were told early on that for any emergency surgery that the hospital can’t do in Kalispell, there is a medical team standing by to transport the patient to Seattle. Otherwise, the hospital is well equipped to handle a cesarian operation should I need one (which happened to me after attempting a vaginal birth).
Room service
Don’t expect MSG-laden food after all, this is a hospital. It does offer room service, which I think is pretty cool. Options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are quite extensive so feel free to take your pick. Imagine how much I ate on the third day I was in after two days of no solid food whatsoever.
They also provide free “celebratorial dinner” for parents! Jeff and I had New York steak, a bottle sparkling apple cider, and cheesecake (I got two slices!!!).
The cookies are my top favorites though. Their sweet, addicting goodness will always have a special place in my heart and in my stomach.
Freebies
You walk out of the hospital with a couple of gifts. A baby bag from Similac containing formula milk (which you won’t be using if you will be breastfeeding but just keep it just in case…), a feeding bottle from MAM, a couple of nursing pads, and breastmilk storage bags, and a bag with ice packs (which is great when Moms go back to work).
The gifts don’t end there: a shirt for Daddy, a sleep sack for baby, some coupons for purchasing slings, nursing covers, car seat canopies. Then, some trinkets here and there. The lactation consultant, who gives the discharge class, hands you nail clippers, nail file, some ref magnets on vaccinations and breast milk storage, lanolin cream for sore and cracked nipples.
The people, especially the nurses
Do people realize how important nurses are in hospital operations? They are the frontliners; the ambassadors of patient care and in KRMC, I encountered the best nurses in the world. I was told that Filipinos make the best nurses because they are compassionate, caring, and sympathetic. But the American nurses I met in KRMC are the best. In this review, I really want to make special mention to Alisha Van Brunt and Jennifer Steele who were the most supportive nurses I have ever met in my life.
I am not exaggerating this.
Alisha was my daytime nurse and she did everything possible for me to feel comfortable. In my groggy state, I remember her as the nurse who was with me in the two hours that I tried to push JJ. Her words of encouragement were music to my ears and I hurdle every minute of trying to push my big boy out. She was with me in the operating room when I was shaking, puking, and feeling so tired from the 26 hours of labor that I had to endure. She was with me during recovery.
Nobody tells you how messy childbirth can be – and how much pain it accords the woman especially after the baby is out. Organs are swollen. There’s blood, there’s that uncomfortable feeling that you can’t immediately pee or poop, and there’s that need to eat in a banquet but you’re told to take things s…l…o…w…l…y…
Alisha was with me through it all. She put ice packs on the swollen parts. She gave me hot packs for my sore back. She helped me get dressed and get changed. She assisted me in every step of the way. She answered my questions. She was kind and very accommodating.
I never saw a glint of frustration on her face. She was happy to get me water, apple juice, and chicken broth. Two days of liquid diet was enough to make me frustrated and it would have been easy to lash out at people. But Alisha was an angel who descended on earth and I would have been one, stupid, ungrateful lady if I didn’t say “thank you”. She took her days off two days before I got discharged and her parting words were: “Cris, it has been a pleasure to take care of you.”
How many people can actually tell you that?
And then…there’s Jennifer Steele.
I was admitted at 6:00 a.m. in the morning of the 14th of September. It was a scheduled admission because normal, spontaneous labor did not happen.
Dr. Gwenda Jonas and I (with my husband) agreed that if I don’t go the normal route, I’ll come in the hospital for a scheduled induction (or a C-section). Jen Steele was the one who attached my IV on my right hand. I remember telling her that I always love seeing the end result after all the poking and taping.
Jen was with me on the night of September 14 when I was going through labor. She walked with me across and along the hallways of the labor and delivery center as one contraction after the other hit my inexperienced body. You have to know that I didn’t experience any labor pains with the twins. It was C-section immediately.
For this second delivery, I encountered the HORROR of horrors; one that made me think twice about having children again. Labor is darn painful! I don’t want to ever experience it again. Jeff, my husband, was beyond tired when night time came so Jen became my support. And she was perfect. She saw me writhe in pain and scream in agony. Jen was the one who called the anesthesiologist when I was crying for an epidural – and when the anesthesiologist did the procedure, she was right there infront of me, talking to me, telling me how great I was doing and how brave I am.
There was an army of nurses and support staff who were there for me too. Ladies, please forgive me if I forgot or didn’t get all of your names. I was drugged. 😉
There was Kim, who had this adorable voice, and was more than willing to take JJ out of the room so I can rest and sleep. There was Elisha, who was my chat buddy for about 30 minutes. There was Jeannette, who processed my discharged papers and was overall helpful in making sure that everything is set before we go
home.
Dr. Gwenda Jonas broke my bag of water and was present during the early stages of my labor. She is upbeat and friendly and talking to her is always reassuring. However, she was attending to another lady, who was also pushing at the same time that I was pushing, so it was Dr. Thomas DeHoop who helped me in the two hours of my pushing episode and then later for the C-section operation. Dr. Guinn, my perinatologist, dropped by one morning and she said I’m going to have a problem with girls as my little boy is handsome. There was Dr. Paul Berkram, who was JJ’s pediatrician, and then Dr. Csaplar who checked on JJ. My anesthesiologists, Dr. Sugarmann and Dr. Hoffman, are my drug angels for without them, I don’t know how would I have survived those long, painful hours.
Gratitude
For some time now, I have been asking myself why I share my pregnancy chronicle and my birthing story in this blog when I called this as “the bulletin board of this family’s adventures”. Isn’t it more appropriate to talk about camping trips, movie nights, and Sunday dinners?
I got my answer on October 15, as Jeff Junior turned a month old while my breasts were dripping milk and my twin toddlers were screaming for me to sing nursery rhymes.
It is certainly MOST appropriate to share my pregnancy, delivery, breastfeeding, and parenting chronicles because my family came to be because of these experiences that I’ve gone through as a woman, wife, and mother. Neglecting this would mean that I am betraying myself and denying my children – and yes, my readers – the truth about raising a family. Because, really, the birds and the bees don’t help you make babies. They don’t help you deliver that baby either.
The nurses and doctors of KRMC did.
I am writing this a month and a week after the day I delivered my third child. Now that I am more sane to talk about the experience and reflect on the lessons I learned, relearned, and unlearned from my second pregnancy and my first shot at experiencing labor and contractions.
I have nothing but deep gratitude and profound happiness in my heart for all of you who have made me experience this journey of a lifetime.
I close this review of KRMC with a huge “THANK YOU” and a hope that you will continue to be great in what you do because you’re making an impact in the lives of many.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
