Swedish Medical Center | Swedish Cares | Issue 1

For Christy Martin, RN, BSN, Jan. 25, 2017, at the Snowmass ski area started out like another fabulous powder day. Overnight, seven more inches of the white stuff had fallen. “We had received an amazing amount of snow,” recalls Martin, a critical care nurse at Swedish Medical Center who skis upward of 100 days per year. But on one early turn, Martin’s skis dug in and she crashed into a rock. “I felt immediate pain,” she says. Later she would tell a ski patrol member, “I think there’s something wrong with my liver.” An emotional return On Oct. 17, 2017, Martin stepped into a pair of skis again—less than nine months after her accident. “It was emotional,” she says. “After a few minutes, I said, ‘Let’s take a lift up.’” Martin credits her speedy recovery in part to her less-invasive treatment at Swedish. Afterward, just a small bandage was placed over the tiny incision. “That was it. No other stitches,” she says. ➤ ➤ LEARN MORE about trauma services at Swedish by visiting swedishhospital.com/trauma . Back on the mountain A speedy recovery after a near-fatal accident let an avid skier return to her favorite sport An ambulance rushed Martin to a nearby hospital, where imaging tests confirmed her suspicions: Her liver was severely lacerated (a grade 5 tear— one of the worst), and it was bleeding internally. “I knew I needed to get to a hospital that provided the correct care as soon as possible,” she says. Caregiver becomes patient Martin was eventually transferred to Swedish’s level I trauma center. Doctors were able to treat Martin without major open surgery. Instead, they inserted a catheter into her groin and threaded it to her liver to repair the damaged organ. Martin was then admitted to the intensive care unit where she works. During her weeklong stay, she was able to experience firsthand the personal connection for which nurses at Swedish are known (her hair was brushed and braided daily, for instance). And they treated her family like their own. “That’s the same type of care that all of our patients get,” she says. Why a ski helmet is a must If you’re going to hit the ski slopes, better grab some headgear first. Wearing a proper helmet during snowboarding or skiing significantly reduces your risk of a severe brain injury, research shows. It could even save your life. If you fall or collide with an object, the helmet will absorb part of the force and cushion the blow to your skull. But not just any helmet will do. Choose one designed for skiing or snowboarding. Often, such helmets have a label that says they meet the standards of the Snell Memorial Foundation or the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. swedishhospital.com 7