Lance Bellinghausen, BVRMC Oncology & Infusion Center patient, was excited to be the first patient at BVRMC to use a new tool to start his I.V. With the use of the ultrasound-guided peripheral I.V. device, the nurse was able to insert his I.V. on the first try.
“I have deep veins or wooly veins… difficult veins some days,” says Bellinghausen. “So this was a good experience because I was only poked once.”
The device, purchased through the Buena Vista Regional Healthcare Foundation, enables nurses to see the patients’ veins on an ultrasound monitor before starting their I.V. This tool helps to reduce additional insertion attempts to start an I.V. and provides a more comfortable experience for patients.
“It was pain-free,” says Bellinghausen. “As far as the I.V. and catheter go, it was very comfortable.”
Being the first patient to try out the device was not the only thing Bellinghausen was celebrating that day. It also happened to be the six month anniversary of the stem cell transplant he received as part of his cancer treatment.
Bellinghausen started his cancer journey about two years ago. After his fist cycle of chemotherapy, he was in remission for several months. When his cancer came back, he headed back up to Mayo Clinic in Rochester for several weeks to do a stem cell transplant. He is currently receiving maintenance chemotherapy treatments at BVRMC.
“It’s been great to be able to roll out of bed and come in here as opposed to making the drive, staying in a hotel and all that,” says Bellinghausen. “It’s really nice to be local.”
“Our donors want to give patients the best possible experience when they walk through the doors at BVRMC,” says Katie Schwint, BVRMC Executive Director of Community Development. “The Foundation is grateful for the generosity of our donors who make difficult appointments just a little more comfortable.”
