I consider myself to be healthy. I work out, eat healthy and try to keep my mind positive.

My beliefs were tested this week. I woke one morning last week feeling tired and a little nauseous. I decided to lay low and thought it would go away.

I was wrong.

The next morning, I felt even worse. I couldn’t catch my breath and felt like something was pressing on my chest. I was sure I was having a heart attack. I called my doctor’s office and she told me to go to an emergency room. We headed to Kent Hospital, which is just 10 minutes from my home. I felt comfortable going there knowing they were a member of the Care New England health system.

My health was quickly deteriorating on the ride there and I had a full-blown panic attack in the car. When we arrived, I could barely walk. They brought out a wheelchair and escorted me into the ER. I was scared.

The staff at Kent were calming and kind. They got me situated and immediately started running tests. They covered me with heated blankets and explained everything they were doing. The nurses and staff in the ER couldn’t have been better.

I was impressed with their knowledge. There weren’t signs of a heart attack or stroke from the EKG, so they dug deeper. One of the nurses suggested, based on the symptoms, that it might be internal bleeding. She was right! After seeing a doctor, that was confirmed.

Once I was stabilized, I was whisked into surgery. The precision and rapid response of the staff at Kent was amazing. Within 10 hours of my arrival, I was resting comfortably in my room. I had three bleeding ulcers in my upper GI tract, which were cauterized. They was probably caused by a combination of an anti-inflammatory drug I was taking and stress.

I stayed at Kent for two nights. The staff was wonderful and attentive. I haven’t been in a hospital for decades and was really impressed with the room and the service. You actually get to pick what you want to eat and when. The food and the service were great!

I lucked out and had a nice roommate, Diane. She was from Alabama visiting her sister. Unfortunately, she fell ill and ended up at Kent as well. We chatted our way through the days and learned about our families and lives.

I am so thankful that I have such a great medical facility in my city. My gratitude goes out to all the CNAs, nurses, doctors and staff at Kent. Without their attentive and knowledgeable care, there is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be here to write this story.

You can contact me at SixtiesAndSexy@gmail.com.