John Noreiko, Intensive Care Unit Patient, Kishwaukee Community Hospital

Miracles happen here, just 5 minutes from home.
The story of  John Noreiko’s 17-day stay at Kishwaukee Community Hospital, as told by the patient and his wife, Kate.

We all know people who are slow to go to the doctor when they are sick. John Noreiko was certainly one of those people. “My husband is a typical guy when it comes to seeing a doctor. He always wants to tough it out. After this adventure I think he has learned his lesson,” said John’s wife Kate Noreiko.

His case started as strep before testing positive for meningitis. John is diabetic and has a platelet disorder as well. He developed renal kidney failure; pericarditis, an inflammation around the heart; mastoiditis, an infection of the mastoid bone in the skull located behind the outside ear; and sepsis, a bacterial bloodstream infection. With every new complication came an additional set of challenges.

Protecting . . .
John: I am lucky to have a loving wife who knows when to take action. My fever really spiked and she brought me to Kish. I know I became quite combative with the nurses, staff and doctors, who were trying to help me, guard me from myself if you will. All the people at Kish were wonderful. They saw my illness as the cause of my distress and worked past my delirious protests. They weren’t just fighting against all the diseases; they had to protect me against myself.

Kate: John doesn’t remember a lot from that portion of his visit. I can tell you that the nurses were just amazing. Here was this normally peaceful man who was so ill he wasn’t himself. They refused to let him stand in the way of exceptional care. They were gentle, persistent and professional. They were so concerned about his health and safety they actually assigned a sitter to just be with John so he wouldn’t be alone at any time. I have never heard of that before, that a hospital would go to such lengths to surround a patient with care. They had a large team that was always there for John. How they do what they do every day is beyond me.

John: What really captures my heart is what happens now that I am healthy. I can’t step foot inside the hospital without getting smiles and hugs from the people who saved my life. As tough of a patient as I was for a while, it is remarkable how they continue to pour out encouragement every time I run into them.

Healing . . .
Throughout John’s 17-day stay a dozen physicians were brought in to assist with his case.

John: After the entire team was assembled here at Kish, the decision was made that the best care for my situation was right here, five minutes from our home. While most people in DeKalb were dealing with one of the largest blizzards ever, I had a big team of specialists working to save my life. Even as the case progressed, additional specialists from our community were right there to tackle the new problems and complications. It is such a relief to know that there is such talent to handle these complicated cases right here in our community hospital.

Kate: People don’t realize the difference that makes when your hospital can handle major cases like John’s. Seventeen days is a long time to have a family member in the hospital. During that time life goes on for the family. Meals need to be cooked. Kids need to get to school. I had to work. Bills need to be paid. I can’t imagine the hardship on our family if we had to add in the stress of travel in a situation like this. This kind of high-level care five minutes away is just wonderful.

Miraculous is not too strong of a word for what happened to John. It is a term John, Kate and his doctors all use when discussing his turnaround. From the labs that processed his tests; to the nurses, respiratory therapists and physical therapists who were always there; to the doctors that had the training and insight to treat such a complicated case, this truly was an example of the whole being much greater the sum of the parts.

John: Today everyone involved in the case can and should claim part of the victory. My chances of surviving these conditions were pretty low no matter where I might have been. The team at Kish really helped me beat some pretty long odds.

Educating . . .
Any time a large number of medical professionals are required on a case, the coordination of care and communication between physicians, nurses, labs, patient, and family becomes critical. Cases like John’s require highly trained specialists who can work closely with an entire team and communicate with the patient as well. In John’s case, he had specialists in cardiology, nephrology, infectious disease, pulmonology, neurology, anesthesiology, and internal medicine.

Kate: Most days we would meet in the spacious meeting room near ICU. The doctors would review what we were dealing with currently and where John was at that particular day. They would answer my questions and help me understand just where we were and where the treatment was going. Plus, over the 17 days there was never a time that a doctor or nurse wouldn’t stop and answer my questions. They helped us understand extremely complicated issues very well. I know more about meningitis and pericarditis than I ever imagined! I couldn’t ask for anything more.

John: Our community hospital handled a life or death situation . . . more than handled it. They cared for me, saved my life, protected me from myself, calmed us by helping us understand what was happening every step of the way . . . Miracles happen here, just five minutes from home!
educating. protecting. HEALING

Robert Rosenfeld, Lung Cancer Survivor, The Cancer Center at Kishwaukee Community Hospital

Robert Rosenfeld credits a dedicated team of physicians and care givers for the early detection of his lung cancer in May 2010. From Dr. R. Patel at the DeKalb Clinic, to Dr. SW Chang, a Sycamore pulmonologist, to Dr. Sabet Siddiqui and Dr. Amit Bhate at Kishwaukee Community Hospital’s Cancer Center, and Dr. Robert B. Love at Loyola University Medical Center, Rosenfeld said everyone worked together to ensure coordinated treatment for the best possible outcome.Dr. Siddiqui, medical oncology/hematology physician at The Cancer Center at Kishwaukee Community Hospital, said that although caught early, Rosenfeld’s case was complex. As it turned out he had two types of lung cancer at the same time.

“His PET scan showed that the tumor appeared to be small, but it was in the middle of his left lung. Our partnership with Loyola turned out to be very beneficial in this case because the tumor extended closer to the bronchial tubes than the scan showed,” said Dr. Siddiqui.“Dr. Love is a specialist in heart and lung surgery. He basically did a reconstruction of his lung, almost like plastic surgery, using Mr. Rosenfeld’s pericardial vascular flap from his heart and
reconstructing the airway to allow one lobe of the lung to be preserved.“In most cases, a patient would have his entire lung removed, but Dr. Love was able to save Mr. Rosenfeld from a mega-surgery that would have meant he would have been on oxygen the rest of his life and a higher morbidity rate,” he said. 

Dr. Siddiqui said the partnership between The Cancer Center at Kish and Loyola is “phenomenal, and this case is an excellent example of why.”Dr. Love agreed, explaining that Loyola is pioneering many life-saving treatment options not available elsewhere.

“We are doing minimally invasive surgeries and using robotics for lobectomies when possible. Lung cancer is a real complicated disease to treat. Where patients receive their first treatment often makes a difference in their outcome because deciding on a plan of therapy is critical,” he said.The collaboration between Loyola and The Kishwaukee Community Hospital Cancer Center allows patients the best treatment options available in both health systems, he said.

> Click here to read more of his story

Priscilla Pisarki, Knee Replacement Patient, The Center for Joint Care at Kishwaukee Community Hospital

My name is Priscilla. I am a Kishwaukee Hospital volunteer. I have never felt so good. Having my knee replaced gave me a new lease on life. I was getting old with my knee, with the arthritis. I couldn’t do the things I wanted to do at church. I couldn’t do things with my grandkids. And I was really starting to feel all my age.

After I had my surgery with Dr. Jain he gave me a whole new life. I had my surgery on January 31^st, and on May 13^th I danced with my husband on our 50^th wedding anniversary. 

After my surgery, I became a volunteer for the Joint Care program. I love it. I go in every Monday and I talk to people who will be having surgery and I tell them what to expect before the surgery happens. I know what it feels like to have arthritis. I know what it feels like to have my knee replaced, and I also know what it feels like to walk out and know you have a brand new life starting all over again. I am active in my church. My husband says he has to take a number to see me, and that is fine with me. Life is too short. You’ve got to move. So now I move, because if I keep moving, illness can’t catch me or anything else. 

Rhonda Henke, Signature™ Knee Replacement Patient, The Center for Joint Care at Kishwaukee Community Hospital

My name is Rhonda and I had a total knee replacement done here at Kishwaukee Hospital back in March.  The pain that you experience when you have joint discomfort creeps into all aspects of your life.  It affects how you interact with loved ones and co-workers.  When I woke in the morning, the first thing I thought about was pain.  I would have to lie there and talk myself into getting up and moving.  People say, “I pray for a miracle. I pray to have no more pain anymore.”  Dr. Jain really was a miracle worker.  He not only fixed my knee, but he gave me my life back. 

I wasn’t sure I was going to be a good candidate for a knee replacement.  I had been told many times that I would not be because of all of the past surgeries that I had.  But Dr. Jain recommended a new procedure called Signature™ Knee Replacement surgery.  It’s done with a series of MRI images that creates a three-dimensional image of not just your knee but also the entire leg. 

The staff at the Center for Joint Care recommended that I start my rehab even before I had surgery.  Not only did they recommend rehab strength training and things of that nature, they also suggested an anti-inflammatory diet.  Once my surgery was over, I was up and walking to rehab within 24 hours.  They don’t focus on what you cannot do; they really focus on what you can do.

I am a night nurse at DeKalb County Rehab and Nursing Center, and I love that job.  It is the greatest job on earth.  But before I had surgery I really doubted whether or not I would be able to continue.  Now that I have recovered from my surgery, not only have I been able to return to work, but I am stronger and better than ever!