You don’t have to do Infusion Therapy alone

It was cold, not only in temperature but in the overall feel of the day. It was the Friday after Mother’s Day and I was leaving the sunshine behind and walking into a place with a very medicinal and sterile name for my first iron infusion. I was only 33 years old, 32 weeks pregnant, and severely anemic- not the kind of anemia that could be managed with a dietary supplement. As I sat in the lobby, I became more and more worried and scared. Most people were there with a support person, but I had come with no one – I didn’t realize I was supposed to, and no one had said a word.

When I was moved into the “infusion room” I sat in a room with 24 women and men in identical light blue pleather recliners, each of us sick with our own illness, none of us happy. Alone, I could only look forward and I was too scared to fall asleep. My scheduled 2-hour visit that day took over 8 hours – and that was common. Medicinal. Cold. Long. Lonely. Common…

…and I wasn’t aware that just because something was standard, it didn’t have to be my reality. I wasn’t aware that I had a choice. I was ill, and I blindly went along with the program. I had no idea that there were choices available to me, but there are options.

Look into any treatment protocol and you will find the importance of positivity in the patient’s environment. The environment is not only their physical surroundings but also the life they have built around them. Ensuring everyone and everything is calm and steady around a patient is so important and can seem like an overwhelming responsibility, but it doesn’t have to feel that way. Having a caring team in a nurturing environment helps everyone feel comfortable.

In the past several years the use of infusion centers has grown. Infusions originally were only available to be administered in a hospital setting or infusion room in a cancer treatment center (even if you didn’t have cancer). Now, patients have the ability to get the same treatments in a more comfortable setting with the same medicine, world-class professionals, and expert care that would have been available in a hospital setting.

Infusion centers can handle multiple types of therapies and treatments. From hydration therapy to steroid therapy as well as many more types of therapies, infusion centers are keeping patients in their homes by providing an expert level of care in a comfortable setting. The technology that is provided is state of the art. There are even treatments for COVID-19, providing access to monoclonal antibodies to prevent hospitalization for high-risk patients.

We are lucky enough to have a wonderful center in Richmond, VA. The team at Infusion Solutions works with your physician and care team to ensure continuity of care in a comfortable setting. No more holding rooms with 20 or so patients, the suites at Infusions Solutions provide concierge-style amenities in rooms designed to provide a serene and spa-like like atmosphere not just for the patient but for the caregiver as well.

If there is one thing I know about my experience with infusion therapy, I never want to do it alone again. Thankfully I now know that I have choices and the private suites at Infusion Solutions provide all the comforts for my support person in the future.