He was sent home four days after the procedure, which was done at a North Jersey hospital in May 2009. But two days later, the Hazlet man experienced major abdominal pains. His wife, Dian, rushed him to the Emergency Department at Bayshore Community Hospital.
Doctors there told Dian surgical complications had left Joe critically ill, so ill he spent 67 days in the Intensive Care Unit at Bayshore. That was followed by seven months in and out of hospitals, receiving treatment for kidney failure, multiple wounds, and infections.
"We were emotionally drained," Dian recalls. "We didn't know if he'd ever get better."
Their outlook changed when Joe was referred to Franklin Hernando, M.D., and the staff at the Center for Wound Healing at Bayshore in January 2010 for a pressure wound on his back that wouldn't heal. The staff at the Center includes specially trained physicians and nurses who take a team approach to treating wounds. They evaluated Joe's wound and his physical and mental well-being, then customized a treatment and management plan.
"The plan included removing unhealthy tissue, managing infections, keeping pressure off the area, using negative pressure therapy to help close the wound, and of course, emotional support," Dr. Hernando says. Joe and Dian also received information about caring for wounds and preventing them in the future.
During treatment, Joe's story took another turn. Though he had no symptoms, a blood test indicated he'd had a heart attack. He'd need quadruple bypass surgery — but his open wound had to heal first.
The wound care team never let them lose hope. "As crazy as it sounds, coming to the Center was one of the highlights of our week," Dian says. "They're experts at what they do — and they're such compassionate people. They made us feel like family, and we consider them family, too."
By August, Joe's wound had closed, and in December, he underwent a successful cardiac bypass surgery at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. "They would not have been able to do that procedure if his wound had not healed," Dr. Hernando says.
"Our experience with Joe's illness has changed our lives forever," Dian continues. "I almost lost him after his initial surgery, but prayers, faith, and extraordinary medical care at the Center for Wound Healing at Bayshore helped us. These exceptional medical professionals entered our lives at our greatest time of need and were able to get us through the most difficult two-year ordeal of our lives."
About the Doctor
Franklin P. Hernando, M.D.General Surgery
Hazlet | 732-264-7171
