Testimonial - Steve Williams
"Quality means: I get to have fun adventures with my grandchildren."
At age 5 months, Henley Kate doesn’t
know about the adventures her
grandfather, Steve Williams, has planned for
their time together. “If she wants to hunt, I can
teach her,” says Steve, who helps organize
youth events that promote hunter education
and safety. “If she wants to fish or golf, I can
give her those lessons, too. I want to be an
active grandfather.” Thanks to the fast and
thorough response by the Emergency Team at
Washington Regional, Steve will get to be that
kind of grandfather.
When a recent case of flu became severe,
Steve’s primary care physician sent him to the
Washington Regional Emergency Department.
“I knew the ER staff would treat my flu
symptoms,” he says, “but I had no idea just how
thorough my treatment there would be.” What
Steve did not know, but the ER staff discovered
during his exam, is that in addition to flu he had
some potentially fatal heart conditions.
“Within a day, I had a pacemaker
implanted,” Steve says. “Then the cardiology
team found there was a hole in one of my
heart valves, so the next week I had surgery to
replace the diseased valve.”
Steve, who likes to be “on the go,” soon
learned his way around the cardiology nursing
unit. “They told me if I could get up and walk,
I would go home sooner. So, as soon as I was
able, I walked about eight miles a day on the
third floor of the hospital. I got to know the
staff up there pretty well. They answered every
question I had.”
Although the heart diagnoses were a
shock to Steve, he is grateful to have made
a full recovery. “In addition to the ER staff, I
credit Dr. Joel Carver and Dr. Russell Wood and
all the cardiology nurses for getting me back
home, back to work, and in better shape than
I’ve ever been. My motivation was simple. I
wanted to live to see my grandchildren and to
have adventures with them.”