Thursday, July 10, 2008

Feeling Cared For

It is nice to have medical people who care and really care about you. Except for one Dr. I've felt comfortable with my whole medical team.

Yesterday my original gynecologist called me. She'd been on vacation and she'd just found out that I was taking Chemo. She and I have cried a lot of tears together, right after my surgery, and when Jonathan died. But she was also the first person that gave me the speech that one's attitude with dealing with cancer means a lot. There is medical proof of this she tells me. She and I bonded right away, from the beginning. She is from Nigeria, and has a little different methods and expectations than some of the other doctors do I think. I noticed at the hospital the nurses are not that fond of her. She puts all her energy in her patients and if the nurses are not doing their jobs she is not afraid to tell them so. I overheard them complaining about her.

But to me, she is an angel. Her accent alone calms me so, she is my partner in this, even though she has turned me over to the Cancer people she keeps up with all that is going on with me.

Yesterday she called me. She was surprised to hear how well I sounded after the first treatment and she and I talked and she assured me I'd get through this and that she is so proud of how I'm handling it. We proclaimed our love for each other, lol, and she told me to call her or page her for anything any time, even if I just needed to talk. I do love her.



And although I'm sure its part of their job to do this, my Chemo nurse just called me to see how I was and to see if I needed anything. She too was happy I am feeling so well, but she warned me around the third and forth day I will probably start feeling weak and achy and just not feel good. Getting past the nausea stage is one battle that I think we've won, now the achy weak part will be next to look for. Anyway, I appreciated the call and it makes me feel like I have a good team of caring people helping me,, and that's always a good thing.

12 comments:

Tammy Brierly said...

Morning robbin,
Can they give you something to help you rest? Sleep is very healing for your body. That doctor should be the norm and not the exception. Good for you to have so many by your side.

I love the bracelets you made and the meaning behind them, 27 or 57. :)

I could help you find the perfect short do until you buzz it. Email me your mug and I'll do a search (st least tell me the shape of your face).

Have a restful day!

Love
T

Chellie said...

My gyne is the very best, too. I've never met anyone like him. I always tell him that he is the nicest person I've ever met and it's true. All docotrs should be like him. i'm so lucky that I got connected with him. It makes all the difference doesn't it?

Robbin said...

Emailing you Tammy.

Robbin said...

Yea Chellie, it does help so much. I'm glad we both got lucky in that department.
Love ya!

Meg Kelso said...

You are so right. Anyone, doctor or patient's family member, who makes a lazy nurse do her job becomes rather unpopular. The fact that those nurses don't like her makes me like her without meeting her.

Meggers

Robbin said...

Hey Meg, I've not seen you for awhile, lots of things happening with me right now. I've always read with interest about your ethics and nursing training and I just know you are a great nurse! And you just proved it, I almost didn't recognize your new name, Her Magesty,
Thanks for stopping by

L'Adelaide said...

had to stop by and see how you are...first off, PLEASE TAKE AMBIEN or something like it! sleep is so important to healing, you don't heal without it! so ask for something rather than not sleeping and the steroids are awful for keeping you awake. I am so glad you are not very sick and to me, nausea is by far the worst of any side effect and happens to be the worst one I have right now, ugh....I am happy to read you have such a good team of docs...how lucky can you get? ! I like the idea of the buzz and that's what I would do too...and some cool scarves and learn how to wrap them the way they do in Africa, so beautiful...
loved those bracelets too :)
hugs!

Robbin said...

Hey Linda, yes mam, I'll ask for something like that, I agree sleep I need. I'm sorry you've had nausea, I can imagine how bad that would be. I should be past that point in about ten minutes and then she said I'd just start feeling icky for a few days. I love the African scarves too, I would love to go to Africa. And thanks for liking the bracelets. Coming from such an artist as you, I really take it as a compliment.
Thanks again for checking on me.
Come again, and I hope you feel better soon.

Mary said...

Checking in on my friend. Glad this process is going well. Yes, steroids do keep you from sleeping but I'm sure the medical folks can give you something to assure you sleep.

The slip of the tongue in naming the psalm was guided by a higher power. We are given messages and assurances in mysterious ways.

The bracelets are beautiful. I can just see a little girl showing her friends how she has a bracelet just like Mommie's.

Remember I'm thinking of you and visualizing an easy course of treatment for you.

Robbin said...

Hi Mary, I thought it was quite devine too. Like a special message for me.
Thank you for dropping in and yes as badly as I hate to add more meds to my body, I do need to sleep.
I'm hoping to get back into some jewelry making, it usually relaxes me but since all of these things I'm going through began, I've not been able to concentrate on much. I do so love running my hands through the beads and gemstones.
I'm really not having a bad time at all. Tonight I am a little fuzzy headed but I don't really feel bad. Keep that vistion going, it's working.

Michele said...

Robbin, is the anti-nausea med not working? I know they had to up Mom's dosage on that but, at least for the first treatment, she had minimal nausea and no vomiting.

Robbin said...

Oh yes , Rapunzel, they worked well,they told me if I were going to get sick like that it would happen in the first 48 hours and I didn't get sick, just had a little nausea yesterday morning but had a pill to take for that right away. SO I'm thinking I'm over the danger of that for this cycle. I hope.