My husband's good side became his bad side overnight

The challenge

My husband's good side became his bad side overnight

My husband had a stroke four and a half years ago. It took his left side completely - no movement, no strength. We built a whole system around his right side. He pulled himself in and out of the car with his right arm. He used it for everything.
Then he needed pacemaker surgery. On the right side.

When the surgeon told us, I didn't think about the procedure first. I thought about getting him home afterward. Both sides would be out of commission at the same time. The car wasn't an option anymore. Neither was asking him to do what he'd always done.

I am eternally grateful - I didn't know what we were going to do until someone mentioned non-emergency medical transport. It hadn't even occurred to me that this existed

- Patient's Spouse

The journey

A gurney, and two people who didn't rush

My sister-in-law was the one who said it out loud - non-emergency medical transport. I called Ambiance the evening before his discharge, not entirely sure what to expect.
They arrived the next morning with a gurney. Two attendants moved him from the hospital bed without putting weight on either side of his body. No pulling, no straining, no asking him to help in ways he physically couldn't.
When we got home, they didn't just leave him at the door. They worked with me and our caregiver to figure out the safest way to get him settled - checking the doorways, the layout of the room, adjusting as they went.

The outcome

We got through it without either of us getting hurt

He healed on schedule. No setbacks from the ride home, no strain on either side of his body. I think about how close we came to trying to manage it ourselves, and I'm glad we didn't have to find out the hard way.

100,000+

Patient transports completed

Google Rating

100%

EMT-certified attendants

98 Years

Age of oldest patient Ambiance has transported