Her story started with alcohol addiction, which led to dramatic weight gain and a stomach ulcer. Carol Murillo’s husband found her one night on the bathroom floor, necessitating a trip to the emergency room at a nearby hospital. Doctors discovered she had sepsis, a dangerous infection resulting from a perforated ulcer.
“I was in a coma for eleven days,” said Murillo. “I stayed in the ICU for six weeks, then transferred to RML Specialty Hospital in Hinsdale for long-term recovery. My right lung had collapsed twice, and I needed to be weaned off a ventilator.”
Murillo also underwent a tracheotomy, and was on dialysis for a week. “RML left no stone unturned,” she explained. “They treated me, my husband, my family, and my friends very well. They made concessions for my support system. My Care Coordinator even drew diagrams to explain each of my procedures to my husband.”
“I can’t say enough about RML,” added Murillo. “My health care team was amazing; from my doctors and nurses to my dietician, psychologist, physical therapist, and RML’s chaplain, they completely changed my life. They’re so knowledgeable, and they were all very attentive, I never felt alone. I was there almost three months, and they became family to me.”
Murillo’s Care Coordinatorcontinued to check on her once a month after her release from RML. “They were tough, and encouraged my family to not let me wallow in sadness, and to make me work hard to improve,” she said. “My recovery went well, due to RML’s support both in the hospital and at home. All the hard work was worth it.”
Another positive change in Murillo’s life was that RML’s chaplain services helped her reconnect to her Catholic faith. “My faith is stronger, I’ve lost 110 pounds, I’m walking again, and I’ve been sober for 21 months,” said Murillo. “I don’t think I’d be here if it hadn’t been for RML.”
Written by Denise Freese
Original article can be found here.
