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Dr. Eric Easey

01/09/2019

 

A Year to Remember

 

This has been a year of milestones, new challenges, and some not so happy surprises.  There were many bittersweet moments and perhaps most of all there were times that we had much for which to be thankful.

 

Since last I wrote, I have really been able to embrace being in the new hospital for my training.  Not only is the next level of residency been challenging as more responsibility has been given to me, there has been a great deal of growth as I have had to really delve into the disease processes I have come across in order to best serve my patients.  I have had some lower points where I have had to give bad news to patients about cancer and other life altering illnesses, I have had to transfer some very ill children, and I have had to sign a few death certificates, but with all of the lows that come with being a doctor in a sin sick world, there have also been glorious bursts of sunlight through the dark skies.  I have delivered several babies, helped a college student get back to the books, and I have aided several patients in kicking the habit of tobacco use, though they definitely deserve the lion’s share of the credit.

 

In addition to the challenges at work, we have had a significant, emotionally trying experience at home.  Last year Maidellyn had to have surgery because of an ovarian tumor, this year, Jeremiah began having pain in his hips that was causing him to limp.  Of course, at first we dismissed it as pain from exerting himself too much during the 5K he ran on Labor Day, how we wish that was all it was.  Unfortunately after weeks of conservative therapy with ice and heat and topical pain medication, we sought out answers as to why our very energetic child was not able to run and play as usual.  The visits to doctor’s offices, physical therapy, and imaging centers became overwhelming, and words like Leukemia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and many others were tossed around as “things we need to rule out”.  After two MRIs, a bone marrow biopsy, and a visit to the pediatric rheumatologist, Jeremiah was diagnosed with Idiopathic Juvenile Arthritis (most likely a form called Enthesitis Arthritis which involves inflammation of the ligaments, tendons, and joint capsules surrounding his joints.) 

 

I am pleased to report that after five weeks of medical treatment, he is running and playing almost like he did before this whole ordeal began.  My wife and I cannot begin to thank Ness County for the overwhelming support we have received in the form of cards, well wishes, and prayers for our son.  I have never hidden the fact that we are a family of faith and we very much believe that all of your prayers were answered.  Thank you!

 

With the diagnosis found, treatment began just as we experienced our second autumn here in the Carolinas.  This year we had the opportunity to travel to the mountains on a bright day where the hills looked to be on fire with the oranges and reds from the maple and oak trees in the foothills of the Appalachians.  We had a full house for Thanksgiving with all of Maidellyn’s side of the family staying with us for the holiday.  It is always nice to see family, but at times having all of them inside because of wet weather can be a bit much.

 

As the calendar year comes to a close, so too does the end of the first half of residency.  As of January 1, 2019 our family will be 18 months away from heading back to Kansas!  It has been a relatively bumpy road that we have climbed to make it this far, we are hoping and praying for a smoother ride as we approach the finish line.

 

Again, we all appreciate your prayers and your support while we are so far away.  You are all in our prayers as well and we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

 

Best Wishes,

The Easey Family

The Easeys – The Move and More

 

We were filled with a great sadness as we packed the moving truck and started our journey to South Carolina.  Saying good-bye to our friends, our home, and closing one chapter in our lives was made tolerable only by the consolation that in just a little while we would be returning to Kansas, a.k.a. God’s Country, and coming home to Ness City.  Even with all of the heartache we were experiencing, we were all at least a little excited to see what awaited us in the next chapter of our lives.

 

With the truck packed and the minivan ready to go, we set out as a two vehicle convoy toward Seneca, SC, the place we would be calling home for our three year sojourn.  When we first arrived, the house needed quite a bit of work, most of which we knew about, but the house had some secrets, not the least of which was that we would need to redo two of the showers.  Thankfully, with the help of Maidellyn, her parents, the boys (Azariah and Jeremiah) we were able to replace the flooring, renovate the bathrooms, paint/waterproof the basement, and install multiple ceiling fans in just three weeks!  With all of that work behind us, our house really began to feel like a home, just in time for me to start work at the residency.

 

I was excited and a little nervous as I began my first rotation as an intern, but as I became more acquainted with my fellow interns and the upper level residents, it was very apparent that we all wanted to get the most out of our training.  I couldn’t have asked for a better group of interns to be working with, and after only a few days, we all got in the rhythm that was needed to be able to learn from and teach one another.  The give-and-take learning environment has really helped hone my medical knowledge and improve my skillset.  Though the hours are long and the work is often times tedious, mostly due to the redundant documentation, I can honestly say that I have never felt better suited for any career than I do working as a physician.

 

While I have been busy working at the residency, Maidellyn has been even busier getting settled into her routine in South Carolina.  With a new state comes new rules for homeschooling, and with a new house comes a learning curve for the eccentricities of a new oven.  She has really been a blessing to me as I have had little time to help out with the chores at home, but being the master at delegating that she is, she has put several new responsibilities on the boys and they have both stepped up to the challenge.

 

While I do not get much time off, when I do have time off, those days are a balance of trying to get some smaller projects done around the house and spending time together as a family.  Our love for nature and the outdoors has been the driving force behind the many discoveries we have made here in South Carolina.  We all agree though, that while SC does have several trails with waterfalls, we all miss seeing the sunsets of Kansas, where you can see the setting sun kiss the wheat fields in the summer or watch as it ducks below the corn stalks in the fall. 

 

We are all looking forward to coming home in the not too distant future and we are very grateful for the well wishes and support we have received from the hospital and the folks in and around Ness City.  We are very excited about the opportunities waiting for us out there and look forward to becoming part of the community.  We are praying for all of you out there and thank God every day for our home in Kansas!

 

Blessing to you all!

 

The Easeys

In May of this year the NCH Board of Directors signed an agreement with Dr. Eric Easey to practice medicine in Ness City when he finishes his Family Medicine Residency the summer of 2020.  We are so pleased to have Dr. Easey and his family join us in 3 years!

 

From the very beginning of conversations with Dr. Easey in July of 2016, I thought he was someone special.  When Shelly McDonald, HR Director, and I had lunch with Dr. Easey, we were quite sure he was special.  Obviously anyone in medical school is going to impress us with their scholarly abilities.  Of course Dr. Easey is impressive in that regard.  But he also impressed us with his heart--he was so warm, so sincere, and so relatable.  Then in December when we met his wife, Maidellyn, and their twin sons, Azariah and Jeremiah who were 10 at the time, we KNEW they were a special family who would bless Ness City and be blessed by us. 

 

That is why in April of this year when Dr. Eric said they were coming to Ness City when he finishes residency, I could hardly contain myself.  As a matter of fact, I didn't!  I was so thrilled!  I am still so thrilled whenever I think of their coming here in 3 years!

 

Just some quick highlights of Dr. Easey's background.  Dr. Easey has an M.B.A. in Healthcare Administration & Finance; he wrote his Senior Thesis at the University of South Florida-Tampa on "The Development of True Christianity in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church"; he is a Captain in the Air National Guard; he received the Brigadier General Wagner Team Builder Award; he received the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; he was an 8th grade science teacher; he was on Labette County Big Brothers and Big Sisters Board of Trustees; and he enjoys repairing classical and baroque stringed instruments.  You can see he has a lot of interests.

 

I know that they will feel right at home when they get to Ness City permanently!

 

Curt Thomas, CEO  

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