Provider’s house call eases patient’s burden

Dr. David Book is an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor who, like many of his peers, rises most mornings and heads to his clinic, intent on doing everything he can that day to help people.

One day every month, though, Book does not go to his clinic. He rises a little earlier and goes out of his way to make it to the home of a man who so very much needs him.

The man is relatively young, in his 50s, and a few years ago he suffered a debilitating stroke in his brain stem that left him on a ventilator and without the use of his arms and legs. He is 100% cognizant of what is happening around him, though he is non-verbal. His wife is his primary care giver.

Before Book began making house calls in the spring, the wife would arrange for an ambulance to come to their home. Paramedics would remove the quadriplegic man from his bed, load him into the back of the rig and drive him to his appointment with Book.

Each month, Book would schedule time to care for the man’s tracheotomy. Book would take the man off his ventilator, remove the tube inserted in the tracheotomy and place a new tube. Then, Book would hook the man back up to the ventilator. The entire process would take 5-10 minutes.

For the man and his wife, getting to the clinic was a difficult and sometimes dangerous excursion due to weather and road conditions. Despite the hardships, the patient always had a smile for his doctor, even after the uncomfortable procedure.

“It was a big deal for him and his family and when the COVID-19 outbreak began, it didn’t make any sense for this guy to come out into the world,’’ Book said.

To help them out, Book said to the man and his wife: “How about I’ll meet you at your house once a month, and we’ll do it there?’’

Since then, Book has been making a monthly house call.

“We are very thankful for Dr. Book,’’ the man’s wife said. “He has gone out of his way to help us, not just with trach changes, but with other things that have been needed from time to time due to the pandemic. We are blessed to have him help with my husband’s care.’’

Book said he is happy to help.

“It’s one of those things. I tried to put myself in their position and it takes me 15 minutes to save these folks two hours and the risk of catching something. “This is not a field trip for them, it’s just one little thing that I can do.’’

And so, once a month, Book goes to the man’s house. He removes the old tracheotomy tube and places a new one.

“It’s something I can do, and it takes the burden off of them,’’ he said.