A young couple has come to the Clinic a couple of times recently with their baby in tow. The young man is a citizen of the U.S. and his wife is from France. They obviously live here in McHenry County now. The staff nurses noticed when the couple was in for their appointments that the husband always spoke for the wife. He would interrupt her and not allow her to speak. This concerned the nurses and they made note to address the issue upon the couple’s follow up appointment. At that appointment, the couple engaged in a very heated argument which led to them yelling at each other in the Clinic. Our nurse quickly summoned Frank Guiterrez, the Clinic’s counselor who was able to intervene and meet with the couple immediately. Frank learned that the couple had a history of anger between them. He began to counsel them regularly to facilitate healthier ways for the two of them to communicate with one another. Since the first counseling session, Frank and the nursing staff have seen an improvement in the way this husband and wife interact.
During this time, the staff also learned that the wife is almost legally blind. Upon learning this Dr. Atkinson, who is a volunteer opthomalogist at the Clinic, agreed to see her in his private office. He ordered her special contacts which have helped to restore much of her vision. With these interactions on behalf of the Clinic, the couple is moving in a very positive direction now.
