Othel and Janice Johnson

Othel and Janice Johnson will be celebrating their 52^nd wedding anniversary later this month. The happily married couple has shared many experiences together over the years, but one they did not anticipate was to share the experience as patients at Methodist Hospital | Northeast.

The day after Thanksgiving, Othel was taken to the emergency room when his persistent cough exponentially worsened. Ultimately, they learned he was suffering from pneumonia and his heart had also weakened.

A few weeks prior, Janice was helping her husband when she accidentally stumbled onto his walker where a bolt struck her leg. As Othel’s primary caregiver, Janice focused more of her attention on her husband and tried to manage the injury until her appointment in December. “I thought it was going to heal on its own. I probably didn’t get the attention I needed,” Janice said.

Since Othel was admitted to the hospital and she had more flexibility, Janice decided to make a quick visit to the Methodist Hospital | Northeast emergency room to get some medication. While she did not initially think admission would be necessary, her care team thought it was in the best interest of Janice’s health and safety to have her stay due to the longevity of her open wound and her risk for developing sepsis. Thinking about her husband, Janice jokingly said, “I thought maybe we would end up in the same room. We could have saved them a hospital room.”

While they were staying at the same facility, Othel and Janice were on different floors. “We’ve never been in a situation where we were in a health crisis and had been apart. That would’ve been the first night apart,” Janice said. “One of my husband’s diagnoses before was vascular dementia, so the concern was advocating for him and to keep him calm with some familiarity.”

Othel’s and Janice’s nurses, Stephanie Colston and Maggie Moody, knew the value in keeping this couple connected for not only their physical health, but their mental and emotional health as well. “Every day, they gave me an opportunity to go and visit with him,” Janice said. “It kept the connection going. I recognized he was being well cared for and it reassured what was happening to me. I can only speak highly of the nurses and the care that was given to me.” The care teams arranged these daily visits until Janice was discharged.

Janice continued to share her gratitude for the other members of her care team who extended support and kindness during this tough time. “It was an experience I will always remember. They shared compassion without compromising the professionalism of their duties and I’ll always remember that,” she said. Janice also repeatedly complimented the food quality as well as the ordering experience. “I thought being able to order off the menu and the quality and service of the food was excellent. Everything tasted good.” She even compared it to a hotel experience.

Othel has since returned home to be with his wife. While he has been recommended hospice home care, he and Janice continue to be together and will soon celebrate 52 years of marriage. “We know we have been blessed with many decades and we thank God,” Janice said.