Jim Frost

When James ‘Jim’ Frost, 74, set out for his annual trek from home in Louisiana to summer fun in Montana, he had no idea what the trip had in store for him. Jim, along with wife Joyce and daughter Jill, left the bayou of Louisiana with a plan to “pass through” the Denver area where they’d spend a few days visiting their other daughter, Michelle.  “We were on our way to Montana for the summer and we stopped to visit our daughter. But on the third day there Jim began to have episodes,” Joyce, Jim’s wife of 55 years, explains. “It just started with him saying he didn’t feel good and needed to lay down. But then about 30 minutes later, he called me from the bathroom and the toilet was full of blood. He said, ‘do you think we need to go to the hospital?’ I said, ‘right now.’”

Michelle’s home is in the foothills about 30 minutes outside of Denver, so after helping an extremely weakened Jim to the car, the trio stopped at the first emergency room they could find. It was the HCA HealthONE Southwest ER, A part of Swedish in Littleton, CO. There, the team quickly assessed Jim and gave him blood to replenish what he’d lost. However, shortly after, the physician explained they didn’t have the necessary quantity available at that location and made an immediate recommendation for Jim to be moved to the hospital’s main campus in Englewood. The benefit of the Southwest ER is that more critical patients, such as Jim, have unfettered, rapid access to the main campus, which is a Level 1 Trauma Center. “The physician said he didn’t think Jim would survive a 15-minute drive to the hospital, so they called for a helicopter, which would only take three minutes,” Joyce recalls.

While Jim was airlifted, Joyce and Michelle drove to HCA HealthONE Swedish. They were reunited with him in the hospital’s emergency room where Jim was still bleeding profusely and losing color in his skin quickly. “They had to do a mass transfusion of about 16 units of blood. They had a team of nine people in there working with each other. It was amazing watching them. Each person had a specific task and got different things done. They worked together very well,” Joyce details.

For Jim, the ordeal was overwhelming and scary, but he recalls one of the nurses, Oliver, holding his hand during the blood transfusion, which stood out to him as a particularly impactful demonstration of the compassionate, expert care the team provided. After the transfusion, Jim was rushed to surgery and a nine-inch tear was discovered in a major blood vessel within the intestines.  After diagnosing and repairing the tear, Jim was moved to the intensive care unit and then onto the hospital’s medical/surgical floor to recover. Nearly three weeks later, Jim was strong enough to leave the hospital but was urged to pause the trip to Montana a bit longer to be sure he was stable. He ended up coming back to the hospital several times during the ensuing weeks, and each time, the Frosts were struck with the kindness of the staff and the exceptional care provided. “The staff actually remembered us and again, everyone was so attentive, professional and kept us informed,” Joyce details.

When the bleeding was under control and Jim’s strength was restored, they were able to finally continue on their trip north to enjoy hunting, fishing, horses and exploring the wilderness. But the impact of their experience in Denver was one they won’t forget.

“I just want everyone who helped me to know how grateful we are, especially nurse Oliver who held my hand in the ER, and a special thanks to Dr. Yee who did the procedure that saved my life,” Jim emphasizes. “It’s not possible for me to personally thank all of the staff that were involved in my care, but I hope they know how much we appreciate all they did for us. Without a doubt, that team saved my life.”