An old laundry basket and a new connection
A photo of Tracy’s late mother, Doris, and the laundry basket with her name on it
Tracy Fischer is a grateful patient who underwent knee surgery at Aurora Medical Center in Manitowoc County. She also received in-home care through Aurora Health at Home. This is her story.
If I was a superstitious person, I would not have scheduled my bi-lateral knee surgery for January 13, 2020. I’m not saying I wasn’t nervous. Of course, having major surgery is a cause for concern to any patient. It’s a good thing I trusted my doctor.
I am so happy that I went to Dr. Carl Diraimondo. He and his team addressed all of my concerns right down to the anesthesia he would be using.
On the morning of January 13, I went to Aurora Medical Center in Manitowoc County to sign in. It was all seamless – from the receptionist to the last nurse that I saw before I went under. Everyone was calm and collected and knew their job so well that I couldn’t help but relax and leave it up to them to take care of me. My surgery went very well, and I am so happy I did it.
But the exceptional care didn’t end when I left the hospital. All the Aurora Health at Home therapists who helped me recover were more than fantastic. They were kind and compassionate, and also tough when they needed to be. Thanks to Matthew, Kristen and Casey for that! The occupational therapist, Heather, made the biggest impression on me. She was helping me to do steps and shower for the first time – making sure I was being safe.
One day, she asked me if my maiden name was Laabs. I answered, “Yes, why do you ask?” She had seen the name Laabs on a laundry basket that was in my upstairs bathroom and proceeded to tell me she had taken care of a very nice lady years before, Doris Laabs. That was my mom! My mother passed away in May 2016.
Those are the kind of people you’ll find at Advocate Aurora Health: people who genuinely care about their patients as individuals. It made me cry that she still remembered my mom four years after she had passed. I wouldn’t expect that from any caregiver – yet here it was.
I will never forget her or the other Aurora teams that did so much for me … and my mom.
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