This is a place where we come to talk about how we cope with cancer. Some of us are in the middle of the fight and some of us have been through the worst of it and are coping with loss.
Have you ever wondered how oncology nurses cope with being in the fight every single day? I mean this is a career choice that boggles the mind.
Take the infusion room, where nurses dispense bags upon bags of chemotherapy. These men and women don’t just hang a bag and move on to the next chair. Nurses know their patients. Everyone knows everyone. It’s not unusal to be greeted with a hug and a “How are you?” The conversation could move on to talk about the family, or a favorite sports team. Where ever it goes, the nurse and the patient, they’ve bonded. They are on this mission together. This could go on for years. These nurses have extended families that number in the hundreds. The cancer patient and the cancer nurse….this is quite a team.
The same goes for the oncology nurses stationed on the cancer floors of the hospital. Some patients are there for weeks. These nurses become the thread that connects patients to their doctors and to the outside world. Hospitalized patients appreciate a friendly, skilled nurse.
And what about the nurses? My bet is they appreciate the same in their patients. Many good friendships are forged between cancer patient and nurse because this disease does not let go easily. You become a part of each others’ life. And what happens if the worst happens and the patient dies?
Do nurses have a place to go to get help? Is there a blog made for them where the sadness can be spelled out to make them feel better? Do they huddle around each other and “lift” like we do here, when death takes a long time member of that extended family?
Coping in cancer world is far-reaching. Maybe next time you see your cancer nurse, YOU be the one to hug first. YOU be the one to ask,”How are you feeling?”
April 1, 2011 @ 9:08 am
I have wondered about this for years now. I still return once a month or so, to say hello and how are you to “my” infusion room nurses. I certainly hope they have a place to go and get “lifted”, to get recharged and ready for the next wave.
I owe such a debt of gratitude for the caring and kind words they gave me during treatments and in the following months that have turned into years.
We can only hope that the oncology nurses continue to provide such wonderful care as there seems to be a never ending stream of patients and their caregivers.
March 31, 2011 @ 4:39 pm
I asked the question “How do you do this day after day” of the nurses and the doctor. I don’t know how they do it with such a positive outlook for everyone and a smile always on their faces. The percentage of loss is no doubt high but they come back each day with hope written on their faces. One of my favorite nurses was in a pulmonary care unit and she got Jim into a special bed/chair and took him outside on a beautiful spring day after having been on a ventilator for 2 weeks just because I said “I wish”. All the while she said this would be worth losing my job over. Of course she didn’t but she made our day. My hat goes off to all nurses but especially oncology nurses. I hope they have a blog like this….they would be welcome here!