For Peggy Caldwell, going to Atlanta once a month for her doctor’s appointment and infusion was a lot more than an inconvenience.
Caldwell, whose multiple sclerosis (MS) requires she use a wheelchair to get around, lives in Newnan with her sister. Caldwell’s sister isn’t supposed to lift more than 10 pounds because of her own health condition.
Caldwell’s niece, who is also in a wheelchair, lives with them, too.
“Our house is full of disabled people, so it was hard on all of us having to go to Atlanta every month,” said Caldwell’s sister, Jean Couch. “Having an infusion center close by is so important for us.”
Caldwell needs medicine intravenously each month to keep her MS symptoms under control. She suffers from a lot of pain and lost mobility in her lower legs due to MS several years ago, making her wheelchair-bound.
It was a relief when they learned about the
Tanner MS Center at Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica and how specialists from The Multiple Sclerosis Center of Atlanta provide doctor’s appointments and infusions for MS patients there.
“My legs don’t work anymore, so it’s a chore for my sister to drive me and help me in and out of the car,” Caldwell said. “It’s so much better for us and less stressful to be able to get my treatment in Villa Rica.”
Multiple sclerosis is a disease where the body’s immune system attacks the protective covering of nerves, and this nerve damage disrupts the brain’s communication with the rest of the body. MS causes pain, tingling sensations, fatigue, impaired coordination, vision loss and other problems.
Since she was diagnosed more than 30 years ago, Caldwell has tried many different MS treatments. For 27 years, a medication called Avonex helped keep her symptoms under control.
When it stopped working, her doctors explored other medications, ultimately settling on Tysabri. The monthly Tysabri infusion has been easier for her to manage, she said.
The infusion center at Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica serves patients with a wide variety of conditions who need medicines intravenously. The center was designed for the comfort and safety of patients. It features big comfy chairs that are easy to climb in and out of, as well as non-slip floors and doors that open by simply waving a hand. It also offers Wi-Fi and individual televisions.
“It’s a wonderful place, from the quality of medical care to the way they take care of you and make you feel so comfortable,” Caldwell said. “It’s a very pleasant place to be when you need your infusion.”
The nurses at the infusion center at Tanner Medical Center/Villa Rica are wonderful, said Caldwell. The center has a team of nurses who place the IV line for each patient, administer the medicines intravenously and monitor patients during and after their infusions. Doctors also supervise the center.
“I love the nurses,” Caldwell said. “They are all great people, and even though they are very busy, they always take the time to explain stuff to you and sit down and talk to you.”
Caldwell, 68, has also enjoyed getting to know other MS patients who come for their infusions.
“It has become like a second family to me,” Caldwell said. “We sit and talk and spend time together, and everyone loves to bring in baked goods and snacks to share.”
These days Caldwell spends most of her time at home, where she helps with chores as much as she can. She also enjoys reading her Bible and watching church services on television.
“I am still praying my legs will come back someday,” she said.
Caldwell says it’s important for her to reduce stress in her life because stress can trigger an MS flare up, as it did when her husband died. Her sister also worries about Caldwell’s stress level.
“Anytime she is in a stressful situation you can tell it affects her MS, so I hated to see her get thrown into the stress of going to Atlanta each month,” Couch said. “We have to maintain where she is at right now with her health and mobility because it’s a matter of survival at our house.”