Patient Stories

Emergency Care, Just in Time

A young woman in her late 20s had been experiencing vomiting and weakness for eight weeks.  Since she did not have health insurance through her employer, she just ignored her symptoms until a friend told her about St. Mary’s Health Clinics (SMHC).  When this patient came to SMHC, she had been experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, muscle weakness, confusion and had lost 12 pounds in two months.  Upon evaluation, the St. Mary’s Health Clinics volunteer physician discovered that this patient had a very high calcium level in her blood that required immediate hospitalization and monitoring in intensive care to decrease the calcium level.  Further evaluation indicated she had cysts on her thyroid that caused her calcium level to be critically elevated.  A critically high calcium level can cause cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac arrect.  Not receiving medical care because of being uninsured could have killed her.

 The diagnosis of thyroid cysts required additional radiology testing as well as referrals to an endocrinologist and general surgeon for the biopsy and removal of the thyroid.  This young woman was experiencing a major medical emergency and life-changing diagnosis that she could never have afforded on her own.  Thankfully, SMHC was available to her when she needed it most.  SMHC provided radiology tests, physical referrals, and approval for surgery free for this patient.  St. Mary’s Health Clinics will also provide this patient’s health care and medications for free after surgery because she will now require life-long treatment to control her thyroid levels.