Ken and Stephanie Reid put their faith in the podiatric surgeons at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital to save Stephanie’s left foot after a diabetic coma and wound infection caused her to nearly lose it.
As active members of Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church in New Brunswick, their faith
has been a guiding force through the challenges and joys that life brings
while raising a family. This same faith also helped Mrs. Reid survive
a life-threatening diabetic coma and nearly losing her left foot to a
severe wound infection.
Last April, Mrs. Reid couldn’t get out of bed and had a high fever
with flu-like symptoms for two weeks, but didn’t think it was serious.
The last thing she remembers before slipping into a coma was not being
able to respond to questions asked by her neighbor. Minutes later, Mrs.
Reid collapsed on the floor, shaking uncontrollably.
“My neighbor knew exactly what was happening. She said, ‘My
mother had this. She’s in a diabetic coma,” Mr. Reid recalls.
Mrs. Reid’s symptoms resulted from undetected diabetes. When she
arrived at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJ), her blood sugar
had soared to over 880 (a normal reading is 80). Worse still, her foot
had become severely infected. As Mrs. Reid lay in a coma, doctors prepared
Mr. Reid for the worst. They said his wife may not live and her left foot
must be amputated. The only other option was to treat the infection with
strong antibiotics and remove the infected tissue through a series of
surgeries and wound-vacuuming procedures. Even with these desperate measures,
there were no guarantees.
Mr. Reid knew his wife didn’t want to lose her foot. She was always
active, maintaining a welcoming home while raising her family of four.
He also felt that God was not leading them on that path.
“I told the doctors that we wouldn’t do anything until we
exhausted all options,” Mr. Reid says. “I went home, took
every one of my wife’s left shoes that I could find, placed them
in a bag and prayed over them.”
Mrs. Reid awoke from her coma three days later and doctors were able to
effectively manage the diabetes. The wound, however, continued to threaten
her health.
“I could not see what my foot looked like, but I knew it was bad,”
Mrs. Reid explains. “I could see fear in people’s eyes when
they saw it for the first time.”
Jonathan Purisima, DPM, an attending podiatrist at RWJ, respected the family’s wishes and
worked tirelessly with colleague
Robert Zannella, DPM, also an attending podiatrist at RWJ, to save Mrs. Reid’s foot.
“Dr. Purisima said that his and Dr. Zannella’s families were
praying for us,” Mr. Reid says. “We formed a strong bond from
that point on.”
According to Dr. Purisima, the heel tissue was dead and infection was
spreading. He and Dr. Zannella performed three procedures to clean infected
tissue from the foot. They also continued to treat Mrs. Reid with antibiotics,
while keeping the wound clean and monitoring it for changes.
“She did have good blood flow to the area. When you have that, you
have a chance,” Dr. Purisima explains.
Months of grueling recovery followed. Now, Mrs. Reid is successfully managing
her diabetes with medication and diet. A Community Visiting Nurse sees
her twice a week and Dr. Purisima examines her weekly. When she left RWJ,
the entire heel and top of her foot were exposed with visible tendons.
Today, only a small superficial wound remains. Dr. Purisima says Mrs.
Reid will walk again.
Mr. and Mrs. Reid are grateful for the countless acts of kindness shown
by RWJ staff, members of their church and other area churches and Mr.
Reid’s employer, the Plainfield Police Department.
“If anything this has strengthened my faith,” Mrs. Reid explains.
“You don’t have to give up hope and be a statistic. My family
is my world, so it’s great to be the old me so I can take care of
them.”
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is a 965-bed academic medical center with campuses in New Brunswick and Somerville, NJ. Its Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, joint replacement, and women’s and children’s care including The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org).
As the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and the principal teaching hospital of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, RWJUH is an innovative leader in advancing state-of-the-art care. A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.
RWJUH has been ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report seven times and has been selected by the publication as a high performing hospital in numerous specialties. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital has been ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News & World Report three times. In addition, RWJUH was named among the best places to work in health care by Modern Healthcare magazine and received the Equity Care of Award as Top Hospital for Healthcare Diversity and Inclusion from the American Hospital Association.
Both the New Brunswick and Somerset campuses have earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety, including the prestigious Magnet® Award for Nursing Excellence and “Most Wired” designation by Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine. The Joint Commission and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services have designated the New Brunswick Campus as a Comprehensive Stroke Center and the Somerset Campus as a Primary Stroke Center.
The American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer has rated RWJUH among the nation’s best comprehensive cancer centers and designated the Steeplechase Cancer Center at RWJ Somerset as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Center. The Joint Surgery Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for total knee and total hip replacement surgery.