Raymond Jung celebrates excellent care by Dr. Prasad
When Raymond Jung realized it was time for a new pacemaker battery, it occurred to him that the upcoming procedure was just one more in a series of excellent care by which Beebe providers saved his life.
Raymond and his wife Anne relocated to Sussex County in 2008 from Williamsburg, Va. Since they had family with lots of grandchildren, they decided to move to southern Delaware because most of the family was three hours or less away. Once they moved to the area, Raymond and Anne, who both had pre-existing heart conditions, chose Dr. Rajinder Prasad as their cardiologist, and they never looked back.
Raymond candidly shared that in 2012, while packing the car for vacation, he collapsed in his house. After being transported to Beebe via ambulance, Raymond was greeted by six professionals who assessed him. When Dr. Prasad arrived, he decided Raymond needed to have a defibrillator pacemaker installed. The surgery was a success and saved his life. Raymond returned home two days later.
In 2014, Dr. Prasad discovered that the lower chamber of Raymond’s heart was out of sync with the rest of the organ, so he installed a third wire into Raymond’s heart, thus saving Raymond’s life once more.
Although his latest episode was natural due to the pacemaker battery’s eight-year shelf life, Raymond reported for surgery in the middle of the current pandemic.
When asked if he felt safe at Beebe during the virus, Raymond replied, “I had no compunction whatsoever, and I knew I was in good hands. Plus,” he exclaimed, “I didn’t have a choice!”
Raymond was tested for COVID-19 three days before his surgery, and when the test came back negative, he was ready to go.
The worst part of the whole experience, said Raymond, was leaving the house to go to the hospital at 5:15 in the morning!
Raymond’s battery replacement on July 14 was scheduled for 7:15 a.m. By 8, Raymond was being wheeled to Recovery. He never doubted the skills and knowledge of Dr. Prasad and his staff. “One week later I was at my post-op appointment and everything was fine,” Raymond said.
Every three to four months, Raymond sees eight to nine Beebe providers, including Dr. Carlton Boxhill for diabetes care, Dr. Vikas Batra for sleep apnea, and Dr. Wilson Nino, Raymond’s kidney doctor.
“The care from the Beebe staff has kept me alive over the past several years,” said Raymond. “All of my doctors keep each other informed about my health, which is comforting to me.”
When in quarantine, Raymond says, he and his wife are very cautious. When not in isolation, he and Anne frequent restaurants, visit relatives and take lovely drives to the Chesapeake Bay in Raymond’s 2008 Mercedes convertible.
“This latest experience was almost like taking my car for an oil change,” said Raymond. “Although it was a relatively minor operation, I had peace of mind knowing I have so much faith in the Beebe providers who care for me.”
As a community-based, not-for-profit healthcare system, Beebe Healthcare depends on the generous support of the community it serves.
To make a gift to celebrate the excellent care you or a loved one has received at Beebe, visit Beebe Medical Foundation at www.beebemedicalfoundation.org or call 302-644-2900.
