One moment in many

I was scared. I was always the one taking care of my husband as his disease progressed. That Saturday night I felt weak, and was breathing heavy. My legs ached. Up until then I had been able to control my occasional bouts with AFib. This was different. I felt dizzy and was afraid to get up to walk. I was thinking of calling 911 but the thought of leaving my husband in his condition upset me even more. It was dinner time on a Saturday night. I decided to call Dr. Riesett, thinking that I would only ask him a quick question, should I go to the emergency room? He started asking me questions determined to help me with what he determined was AFib. I’ll never forget he was flipping steaks on the grill and continued to talk me down from my high state of anxiety. I was confident that I could get through this episode, and relieved, more so than anything, that I would not have to leave my husband home alone. Once Dr. Riesett confirmed my blood pressure and pulse were at manageable levels, he asked me to call him in one hour. By that time I was feeling much better, knowing it will only be a short time before I would be back to normal. I thanked Dr. Riesett and hoped that he was able to enjoy at least part of his Saturday night dinner, probably with guests. I sent him a note the following day. There have been many moments like the one I described since my husband and I moved to Maryland. Dr. Riesett cared for my husband during Wayne’s devastating disease, responding to every call, day and night. Fortunately not too many on weekends but I do remember one call with Dr. Riesett while he was enjoying a trip with his sons. He continued talking to us and resolved the problem in a very short time. When I needed a Cardiologist, Dr. Riesett said I needed to see someone within a week, no later. He was able to identify a practice at Hopkins that had recently hired two cardiologists and told me to contact Hopkins. I did that the same day and had an appointment within three days. There are so many times like the ones I’ve described that I could go on and on. Dr. Riesett’s staff are the most knowledgeable, competent and caring group of professionals I’ve ever seen providing support in a medical practice. I hesitate to name individuals for fear of forgetting one but Dr. Riesett knows how I feel about each of them. Thanks to all, including Sara, who is now in nursing school. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to show my appreciation.