Larry Walsh – Emergency Care

“As I was cutting firewood west of Aitkin, I started feeling nauseous and weak, so I quit and headed home. I was having chest pain, so I took a nitroglycerin pill and called my wife to ask her to meet me at the Riverwood hospital emergency room.

When I arrived at the hospital, I told the staff I was having chest pains, and they rushed me into the emergency room. One minute I was joking around with the doctors and the nurses, and the next thing I recall is my wife coming through the door and the nurse is telling her they had to shock me to bring me back to life right there in the ER.

I had a heart attack caused by a blood clot in my stent and was flown to Duluth for advanced cardiac care to fix the blockage. After a couple days in the hospital, I came back to Riverwood to thank the doctor and nurse who saved my life. Because of their quick response, I was given a second chance.  I’m very thankful that this nurse and doctor knew exactly what to do to save my life.

While Riverwood doesn’t have the cardiac care resources that bigger hospitals do, I still recommend this hospital for the initial starting point when you’re having a heart attack. Don’t travel further than you have to and don’t drive yourself to the hospital, even if you’re just a few blocks away like I was. Pick that phone up and call 9-1-1.

I’m so thankful for this hospital, which gives the feeling of caring for you just like the community of Aitkin. As a patient, you get special care because the doctors and nurses don’t view their work as just a job. They really care about you getting better.”

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