My Hospital

Mount Carmel is a very special place for many who have received compassionate, healing care here. David and Kimberlee Montgomery tenderly share their personal experiences of how Mount Carmel saves, heals and restores lives. It is what we do. Our vision is to be our patients’ most trusted health partner for life. We aspire to be a compassionate and transforming healing presence within our communities, and are very proud to be a place where grateful patients near and far call Mount Carmel “my hospital.” David Montgomery is a member of the Mount Carmel Foundation's Board of Trustees.

DAD’S STORY

While visiting my daughter and grandchildren in Columbus in 2000, I was awakened in the night by severe chest pains. The pain was enough to wake my wife as well, who summoned my daughter and son-in-law for help.

My son-in-law decided to rush me to the hospital instead of calling 911. He took me to Mount Carmel East.

An emergency crew met me at the door and immediately rolled me to the back. The doctors quickly assessed my situation and stabilized me after about 20 minutes. I remained in emergency room care for several more hours that night. The doctor said that if I had not gotten there when I did, the results would have been different.

The next day, I was moved to Mount Carmel West, where I underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery. My recovery was successful. It’s now been 16 years since that dreadful night.

Today, when I visit my family in Columbus, I always ask about “my hospital,” since it was there that I got another chance at life. I’m pleased to have been in the good hands of Mount Carmel. They saved my life.

KIMBERLEE MONTGOMERY

After I received my annual mammogram in February 2013, I was shocked and surprised when it didn’t come back “normal” as usual. I was referred for diagnostic testing, an MRI and a biopsy. The results were unfortunately the same. I was diagnosed with aggressive cancer, Stage IIIC. I was advised to have surgery – a mastectomy of the right breast. My surgeon was associated with Mount Carmel and the surgery was done at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s that March.

As I was recovering, I looked at several oncologists and hospitals. I chose the Zangmeister Center — I received chemotherapy there starting in April. After chemotherapy, in September, I began radiation treatments next door at the Mount Carmel Radiation Center. My last radiation treatment was just weeks before the birth of my first grandchild! I’ve been very pleased with my care through-out the entire process. Today, I’ve been cancer free for 3½ years. My total recovery has been helped along by my participation in the many free survivor programs offered through Mount Carmel — yoga, user groups, massage, swimming, general fitness, etc. Meeting and associating with other survivors in these programs has meant a lot to me. It even turned out that my oncologist and I live in the same neighborhood. We see each other quite often as we walk to get our exercise in. I am thankful and proud to say that Mount Carmel has not only helped me, but my Dad and my husband as well!

DAVID MONTGOMERY

After traveling abroad over a two-month period in 2011, I noticed I was not feeling like myself. I was rushed to the hospital about 7 days after returning to Columbus. I was prescribed some antibiotics to deal with a urinary infection, which seemed to work. Unfortunately, several days later I had the same symptoms, only more severe.

After going through numerous treatments of feeling okay and reoccurring dysfunctional urinary patterns, things escalated enough for me to see a urologist. Upon seeing me and my situation, he immediately hospitalized me at Mount Carmel St. Ann’s.

It was quickly determined that this was not a typical urinary infection, so an infectious disease specialist was sent to assess me within hours. Upon several tests after normal hours and late into the night, the specialist determined that I had a form of e coli that’s difficult to identify. I needed surgery within 24 hours to stop it from spreading. If they had not been treating me the way they had, and with the time it takes to identify rare e coli cases, my results would have been different.

After treating the infection, I underwent Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) surgery at St. Ann’s, along with a colonoscopy. Prior to the surgery, the surgeon took time to prepare me for the potential risks and side effects that could be lifelong, impacting my daily routines and overall lifestyle. He was a very pleasant person who assured me he would do everything he could to mitigate the risks, but they were real risks. The surgery was successful, and today, 5 years later, I’m doing well and not experiencing the risks that could have occurred. And strangely enough, I am now a friend of that surgeon!

I am grateful to Mount Carmel St. Ann’s and their staff. I am proud to say Mount Carmel has helped me, my wife, and my father-in-law! I’m so grateful that today I dedicate my personal time to Mount Carmel as a member of the Foundation Board, working hard to raise money and support their mission to help others.

This article was originally published in the Fall 2017 Inspire Newsletter.