Dr. Long is the best doctor EVER!

I have been fortunate to have Dr. Long as my physician for many years, and he has helped my family in so many ways it is difficult to thank him enough or recoginize all the many ways he has made my life better. Since the Corona virus is a hot topic now, I can easily recall a situation when Dr. Long played a key role in saving my life and supporting my family in a very special way, for which I will always be very grateful. In 2009, I contracted H1N1 and nearly died. I am convinced that it was Dr. Long's dedication, commitment and perseverance, combined with a lot of prayers, which led to the successful result of my treatment. I was in the hospital for several weeks, and much of that time was in the ICU in an induced coma. I remember one of the first people I saw, when I came out of my coma, was Dr. Long sitting in a chair next to my bed. My family told me that Dr. Long was there every day, and the Pulmonologists who were in charge of my treatment kept telling me to be sure to tell Dr. Long what good treatment they had given me. It was very clear that Dr. Long had played a key role in making sure I got the best treatment possible, and his reputation and influence in the medical community, due to the respect he has earned as a terrific physician for many years, made a big difference. I appreciate more than I can express the persistence and leadership Dr. Long directed during my medical care, but I am equally indebted to him for the loving and caring support he gave my family. I truly believe this terrible disease was more painful to my family than it was to me. I was unconscious during most of the ordeal, but each day my wife and daughters had to have discussions with the medical providers that I may die. It means a lot to me that Dr. Long was as dedicated to helping my family as he was to fight for my recovery. I missed Thanksgiving in 2009 due to my coma, but each year as we gives thanks for our blessings at Thanksgiving, we remember how special Dr. Long is.

As I said, I have been fortunate to be a patient of Dr. Long for quite a few years, and could never say enough about how much I value Dr. Long and his fabulous nurse, Denise. There are many examples of what makes Dr. Long so special. One is another health scare I had a few years ago, and the incredible care Dr. Long gave me. I was having chest pains and called Denise. Since both of my parents died from a heart attack, Dr Long told me to come to his office as soon as possible, so he could run some tests. When I got there, Dr. Long and Denise were ready to run some test and decided that I should go to the hospital. Dr. Long told me to call my wife and have her take me to the hospital. I explained to him that my wife was not home, but I would just drive myself. Dr. Long told me to hang around, and next thing I knew we were heading to his car! He drove me to the hospital!! He called the hospital , and we were on our way. When Dr. Long dropped me off at the ER, I was met like a celebrity. I remember there were several people waiting in the ER, but within a couple of minutes, I was being wheeled-up to the cardiac unit. Before I knew it, I was having a heart cath and once again getting special treatment because of Dr. Long. During the drive to the hospital, I kept thanking Dr. Long telling him if I am okay, I did not want to spend the night in the hospital. Thankfully, everything went well, but I remember the surprise on the nurse's face after the proceedure, as she was checking me into a room, and it was confirmed that Dr. Long had approved me to go home. Dr. Long was correct about my risk factors, and under Dr. Long's care, I am doing well. Thanks again to Dr. Long!!

I can't express enough how much I appreciate and value Dr. Long. He has always been more than just my doctor, and I feel like he treats all of his patients with extra special care. Even though I only see Dr. Long a few times a year, I consider him my doctor and my friend, and that is why I tiitled my testimonial "Dr. Long is the best doctor EVER!!"