Heart Procedure through COVID-19 Precautions

In late March, Angie Futrell of Mt. Olive was scheduled to have an outpatient heart procedure, at a time when Wayne UNC Health Care was beginning visitor restrictions due to novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

“I got the call about when I had to be there and told my husband he would have to drop me off. He couldn’t stay because of COVID-19,” said Angie, 47. “It caused me to have a lot of stress.”

Compassionate Care

From the time Angie arrived for her appointment, the Wayne UNC team took steps to try to reduce her anxiety level. “When I got there, they checked me in and went through all of their precautions,” she said. “They took me to the waiting room, and I was the only person in there.”

Angie’s main nurse, Pete, took time to explain each part of the procedure to Angie before it happened so that she would know what to expect. Another nurse, Megan, reassured Angie and told her that she was going to be with her every step of the way.

“I prayed the night before my procedure for God to send an angel in with me,” said Angie. “That angel was Megan.”

Emotional Support

Reflecting on her procedure, Angie is thankful for the team who looked after her when her family was unable to be present. “I’m sure everyone caring for me had a lot on their minds due to COVID,” she said. “But you couldn’t tell. Everyone was very professional.”

Angie said she felt emotional about her procedure leading up to it and throughout. When Pete began to explain the procedure, Angie’s tears began to flow.

“I’m ok,” she told the team. “I’m just crying because I’m nervous.”

It helped Angie to see that her team was calm and friendly. “They talked to me and told me about how good the doctor was who would be doing my procedure,” she said.

The care team looked after Angie’s comfort level both with medications and with the procedure, performing her catheterization through her radial artery instead of her groin.

“I feel like I received great care at Wayne UNC and would recommend them to others,” she said.