Inpatient Emergency Room, Andrus Pavilion
Listen to Mary Arditi’s story
As an 82-year-old mother of eight and grandmother of fourteen, I’ve been a proud Yonkers resident for the past 58 years. While driving home from the shore with my handicapped son, I first started to feel sick with horrible stomach cramps. Upon arriving home and stepping into the shower, I suddenly started coughing up blood. My husband called my daughter, who told us to call an ambulance right away, and I was rushed to the ER at St. John’s Riverside Hospital.
My family was quite anxious—not only because of the blood I was losing, but because I have a very weak heart. I have a pacemaker and have had a massive heart attack in the past.
When I arrived in the emergency room at St. John’s, the doctors and nurses immediately assessed me and sprang into action. I was treated so quickly yet so carefully. They did an immediate endoscopy and discovered that I had a bleed in the abdominal aorta. Once admitted, they ventilated me, and Dr. Christopher Digiorno, a gastroenterologist, performed an intervention to seal off the bleeding. Afterward, he said, “You’re lucky to be alive, considering the size of the opening and the amount of blood loss. You got here just in the nick of time.”
The surgery slowed the bleeding and gave the team precious time to stabilize me.
Over the next few days, Dr. Digiorno went above and beyond to ensure that I was treated with great care. What most struck me and my family was the way he constantly kept us informed—calling daily to update us about my progress, the tests that had been conducted, and the potential results. In our experience, it is usually the patient’s family members who must follow doctors around for answers—but with Dr. Digiorno, it was the other way around.
The medical skill, sensitivity, and care I received at St. John’s were truly exceptional. The team’s speed helped save my life. Their dedication and compassion were unlimited, and I am forever grateful to the doctors, nurses, and staff who took care of me with such skill and compassion. I will continue to put my trust in St. John’s Riverside Hospital for my care.