Miriam's Superstitious About Where She Receives Cancer Care
Miriam Stratmann was anxious the first time she walked into TriHealth Good Samaritan Western Ridge. "Ever since my lung cancer diagnosis in 2009, I've become a little superstitious about where I have my CT scan readings," she says. She was immediately relieved when a technician sensed her fear and offered a hug.
Miriam had already had part of her lung removed and been through 25 days of chemotherapy and radiation when her physician at Good Samaritan TriHealth Hospital referred her to Good Samaritan Western Ridge for follow-up appointments. It would be closer to her West Side home, and she was told that the care would be the same quality and compassion that she'd grown to expect at Good Samaritan Hospital.
"I was really afraid," she says, describing her first CT scan at Good Samaritan Western Ridge. I thought to myself, 'I want the same doctors, the same radiologists, the same techs — all that stuff — as I had at Good Sam.'" When one of the nurses assured her that was the case — they already had all of her patient records — Miriam was comfortable.
"It was very nice," Miriam says. "That's where I'll go now. I like Western Ridge. It's close to my house . . . and I had minimal wait time." In fact, her care has been "fabulous" at every TriHealth facility, she adds, which helped her recover and go home just three days after having part of her lung removed.
She vividly remembers another day, when she had her PET scan at another TriHealth facility: TriHealth Good Samaritan Glenway. "My nurse was a really nice lady, too. She told me, 'I go to Mass everyday with one of the doctors. I'm going to pray for you.' And that was really sweet."
Miriam is extremely proud that she's been cancer-free for two years, thanks in part to the good care she's recieved at TriHealth. She's now focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle so she can continue living life, cancer free. "I'd recommend Good Sam to anybody."