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Taking Control of Your Health from Home
David Plotnick was recovering from
spine surgery when he started
experiencing unbearable pain.
The simplest tasks soon became nearly
impossible. In a quest for relief, he went to
a series of physicians, all of whom had a
different theory about the problem. Some
even told him, "It's all in your head."
"I couldn't believe it," exclaims David.
"I was in an uncomfortable back brace,
and yet many physicians told me the pain
was imaginary. It was so disheartening —
I really thought that I was going to have to
live in this pain for the rest of my life."
After nearly four months of pain, David
met with Nancy Gornish, M.D., a physician
board certified in infectious disease
and affiliated with Jersey Shore University
Medical Center. "Dr. Gornish is the best,"
says David. "She told me that an infection
in my spine was causing all my pain. Though my primary physician disagreed,
Dr. Gornish assured me she was right. I
trusted her."
Dr. Gornish arranged to have Daniel E.
Flynn, M.D., an interventional radiologist,
withdraw and test David's spinal fluid,
which proved to be infected. To treat
the infection, Dr. Gornish told David he
would need a PICC line, a tube that takes
antibiotics right to the bloodstream near
the heart, for seven weeks.
David assumed he'd have to receive
the treatment in a rehabilitation unit —
away from home and away from his wife
of 50 years, Maureen.
Then Dr. Gornish told him about a
home infusion service available through
Meridian At Home. A nurse would come
to his house and administer the PICC line
there. David immediately arranged for this.
"The first time that our nurse, Jeanne
Figliola, arrived, she was so pleasant, kind,
and helpful," says David. "She stayed
with my wife and me for four hours. She
assured us everything was going to be fine
and helped teach my wife how she could
be of assistance throughout this process.
She even gave me her cell phone number
and encouraged my wife or me to call her,
any time of day or night, if we had any
questions or concerns."
Jeanne came twice a week to help
with the PICC line and give blood tests.
"Once, I had forgotten to fast for my
blood test when Jeanne showed up at my
door," admits David. "She was completely
understanding and came back the next
day, a Saturday, to give the treatment. My
best interests were really her priority."
Now David feels like his old self
again, back to arranging events in his
active adult community. "Dr. Gornish
and Jeanne were wonderful. I don't have
enough words to describe how great
they are," he says. "They really saw me
through this ordeal."
 – Laura Pollio
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