Norman Bernier is an on-the-road salesman for fire equipment, so he was at the Chaplin Fire Department—demonstrating the latest in gas detection equipment—when he began to feel “a little off,” as he puts it. He laughs, “And I was uncharacteristically quiet. That should have been a clue!” He says he just felt tired, and thought he might go home for a little rest. “I certainly didn’t think I was that sick,” he recalls. But alert firefighters—trained in emergency response and telltale signs of trouble—were sure they were seeing the classic signs of shock, so they called the ambulance corps. “I guess they knew better than I did. When I tried to phone my wife, I just stared at the phone and couldn’t figure out how to place the call. I knew then that I was in trouble.”
 The Emergency Medical Services team from Windham met the ambulance en route at a gas station, and Norman was transferred into their care—which, he notes, “was absolutely outstanding! Those guys were great.” They transported him to Windham Hospital, where he was admitted for tests. “The clinical staff was first-rate, and their testing thorough,” he comments. “I couldn’t believe how well everyone worked together. They had a nice kind of banter going, they kept you smiling, so even the worst tests—the ones you really didn’t want to do—were bearable.”
Diagnosed with a bacterial infection—a complication of long-standing diabetes—Norman stayed in the Hospital for a week for treatment. During that time, he says, he “got to know the staff. They were good, very good, at convincing me to cooperate in their tests and procedures. They explained everything so well. They were with me every step of the way. And they kept me laughing. How could I refuse?”
 |  | That week-long stay resulted in a secondary benefit: the clinicians noticed that Norman had sleep apnea, and suggested that he follow up with some sleep studies. He’s now completed two separate studies at Windham Hospital, and is working on resolving some problems uncovered there, too. He’s feeling better than he has in years. “It’s totally positive,” he says. “I just want to say thank you. I can’t say it enough.
From the fire and ambulance crews, to the EMS paramedics, to the unit nurses and the doctors who treated me…they were all absolutely wonderful. They saved my life, and they smiled while they did it. Even though I live out of town (Bernier is the fire chief in Putnam), I will always come to Windham Hospital for my medical needs. It was great. My wife even commented that coming to visit me was easy and painless. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you |
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