Community and Caring is Still Alive in Iowa County

Dear Editor,

On Tuesday morning, July 16, I suffered a stroke at 1:45 a.m.  My husband Allen called 911. The first response from our community was the all volunteer Barneveld/Brigham EMT squad who arrived in ambulance within 20 minutes. In spite of being called out in the middle of the night, all of them were cheerful, comforting, and very efficient in attending to my needs on the ride to University Hospital. There I was put in the care of an extraordinarily  friendly and supportive crew of nurses. I made good progress and was sent home on Friday July 19. That's when family and friends stepped in with gifts of prayer, food, encouragement in cards, emails and phone calls. Neighbors did the mowing, picked up groceries and medicines as well.

 On Tuesday July 21 Allen and I tested positive for Covid. Fortunately Allen had a mild case while mine turned severe. Friends and neighbors continued to run errands for us, but we couldn't have any visitors for fear of infecting them. However, wearing protective gear, the wonderful Physical and Occupational Therapists from Upland Hills Hospital Home Care Service still came several times to start my rehabilitation.

On Wednesday July 31 at 4:00 a.m. the EMT SQUAD had to come again when I experienced severe abdominal pain. The ER doctors determined that the pain was from Covid related GI tract issues and not the stroke. I got some pain medication, suggestions for dealing with my GI tract problem, and was sent home. Since there was no longer a threat of infecting others, family members stepped in again to help as did friends and neighbors.

To all of you mentioned above (you know who you are), from the bottom of my heart, thank you, not just for taking care of me but also for reminding me of what a healthy, empathetic community we share; you are MY own personal America and I thank you for reminding me of that as well. I love you all.

Judy Pincus, Barneveld, WI