Rhonda Orcholski
Aurora QuickCare Clinic proves to be a coincidental lifesaver
Ronda Orcholski could no longer ignore her sore throat and laryngitis. She went to the Aurora QuickCare Clinic inside Southridge Mall, knowing she could get seen right away for an exam and even a prescription if needed. She didn't know that the visit would quite possibly save her life. "Without Aurora QuickCare Clinic and the efforts of Christine Yeomans, the nurse practitioner, I don't know where I would be," says Ronda.
Christine remembers the day she saw Ronda, "She had a very sore throat, and she could barely swallow or even open her mouth very wide. It seemed to be worse on one side." Christine suspected a throat abscess and knew that Ronda would need more advanced diagnostics in order find the problem. Christine referred Ronda to the Aurora West Allis Medical Center Emergency Department and called them ahead of time to go over the situation and ensure that Ronda would not have to wait when she arrived.
"QuickCare Clinic is a vital link that can help patients get the care they need," says Christine. "The support that we have from other Aurora facilities and our referring capabilities allow us to connect patients to the type of services and level of care that suits their specific situation is invaluable." Christine also comments that the rapport she has with the different Aurora sites helps create smooth transitions for patients that need referral.
Following the CT scan at Aurora West Allis Medical Center, the doctor told Ronda there was good news and bad news; good news, there was no abscess, just a severe case of pharyngitis. The bad news was that they discovered a brain aneurysm. Ronda spent the weekend at Aurora West Allis Medical Center to treat her pharyngitis, which is a severe sore throat with infection.
Within two days of consulting a neurosurgeon, she had a six-hour surgery to remove the aneurysm. "I have two siblings that also had aneurysms, unfortunately, they were not discovered early enough and both of them had complications due to the aneurysm bleeding," says Ronda.
Like Ronda's, most aneurysms are found accidentally. "I think of it as a miracle," explains Ronda. "I was in the right place, at the right time and Christine cared enough to make sure I received the care I needed - she saved my life." Ronda's neurosurgeon told her that because of the size of her aneurysm, if she had waited even a week longer, it would have ruptured or bled, and most likely would have been fatal.
Ronda recently completed occupational and speech therapy and is well on her way to a full recovery. "Having the Aurora QuickCare Clinic close to home has been great. My son and I still go there for minor issues when we can't get in to the doctor," states Ronda. During one these recent visits, Ronda took the opportunity to thank Christine for saving her life.
There are 10 Aurora QuickCare Clinic locations throughout Eastern Wisconsin. To find an Aurora QuickCare Clinic conveniently located in your community, use our find a location search or call 1-877-QUICK02.
