My husband Kenneth Clark has been a patient at MaineGeneral Augusta since March 13 with complications of advanced pancreatic cancer. He was critically ill and on a ventilator for many days. After a remarkable turnaround, he is now off the ventilator and has been moved from the Critical Care Unit to a regular room. We hope he will soon be recovering at home.
During those two weeks while our family was consumed with having a seriously ill loved one, the world as we knew it completely changed — from the first cases of COVID-19 reaching Maine as Ken entered the hospital, to business and commerce now at a screeching halt, along with our daily routines profoundly disrupted.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, MaineGeneral has implemented new policies, including a hospital-wide ban on visitors. Although it is heart-wrenching not to be with Ken after we almost lost him, we fully support why this policy must be in effect to protect hospital patients, staff and the greater community. Despite what must be a frightening and stressful time as the hospital deals with the first wave of the pandemic, we want to commend the MaineGeneral staff for their unwavering professionalism and compassion. From the medical staff to the support staff, each person we encounter makes it their job to support Ken’s recovery and our family’s well-being.
As we learn more about the enormity of the crisis facing our state and the nation, I hope we all continue to heed the measures aimed at flattening the infection curve. In real time, our family has watched local medical personnel courageously working to keep the rest of us safe, at significant personal risk to themselves. If you encounter a medical worker, please thank them for a doing a difficult job under the toughest of circumstances.
Lori Douglas Clark
Readfield
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