"Would Highly Recommend This Hospital"

It is part of life's hope that you will never need to utilize a hospital. But on a very early Friday morning my husband awoke with a high fever and rigouring.

A cancellation with our GP allowed him to visit our local surgery where he was assessed by a very knowledgeable Doctor - who then made a call to Cumberland Infirmary.

He strongly recommended us to quickly get to the ER where a team was waiting; thanks to the GP who contacted them!

We arrived at 15:00 and were admitted within an hour and an IV was administered by 16:30.

Due to the nature of suspected Sepsis and a high fever of 39.8', the Emergency Room Staff intervened with an antibiotic drip through an IV that probably saved his life.

Due to a chest pain on his left side, the ER team quickly took him to Radiology where the x-ray showed Pneumonia involving the lower left lobe of his lung.

The Emergency Assessment team/Larch Ward staff did an amazing job of throwing everything at this thing that had suddenly gripped my otherwise healthy husband!

All equipment - including intravenous shunts, blood work, oxygen therapy were always done quickly, painlessly and cleanly.

A long road lay ahead.

Hematology staff had to determine over a certain amount of days exactly which antibiotic drug or combination of drugs, would fight the infection; which was in their words, a ''particularly virulent kind.''

Coincidently, National Sepsis Day occurred during his ordeal!

All praise to the hospital staff for quickly addressing his mystery illness with antibiotics almost from the time he came through the emergency door!

Baffled by his extremely high temperature over several days and low oxygen count, they really worked hard to find the right drug combo.

He turned the corner several days later (after much prayer) when his O2 levels came up and his temp came down.

Breathing was still difficult, but a transfer to the Respiratory Department/ Beech Ward gave him even more specialized, round-the-clock care. What a superb team there at Cumberland Infirmary Beech Ward!

Ten days later, I am pleased to say my husband is recovered and home. We are both so very thankful for the first-rate expertise of so many medical staff, nurses, assistants and doctors who attended him during his stay.

The room in Larch Ward was bright and cheeful and clean.

The room in Beech was more communal but all the men got on well, and even pulled together with spoken encouragement for one-another!

Nursing care was always attentive; even right down to providing him with pillows to find that just-right, comfy position.

The day before he was released, we enjoyed a coffee together down in the lovely ground floor cafe bright with sunshine from overhead sky lights.

It is a lovely, state-of-the art building.

Again, thank you to the Cumbria Hospital Trust and Infirmary for the many caring hands that worked long hours to save his life. God bless you!