There’s so much more to cancer than treatment and I think sometimes those other things get pushed to the back of the exam room because the focus is on treatment and even cure.
But cancer is more than that, being educated and informed about your cancer is critical. Will it take your life? Are there mets or is it confined to one area? Surgery, chemo, radiation….where will your cancer road lead? And how are you told about all of this?
That’s the million dollar question.
Knowing what I know now about cancer and meeting so many doctors and nurses along the way, I sometimes think it would have been better to hear some of this news from the oncology nurses rather than the doctors. Some of Leroy’s nurses had such compassion and understanding. They just seemed to ‘get’ the emotions that went with hearing bad news. That’s not to say some of his doctors weren’t good at this too, but some of them were clearly absent the day they talked about “patient-doctor conversations” at med school.
Cancer is an emotional ride. Social workers who work on oncology floors in hospitals are special people. They carry a calming vibe with them just walking into a room. Nurses who work in oncology have a special place in my heart. I’ve never met more caring, open-hearted souls. TLC are the invisible letters that follow all their hard-earned levels of accomplishment on their medical diplomas.
As important as it is to get cancer treatment right, it’s just as important to get the other side of cancer care right too. Patients and care-givers need that gentle touch….believe me, they do.
May 9, 2012 @ 11:41 am
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May 8, 2012 @ 9:05 pm
What a wonderful post, and especially during Nurse Appreciation Week! This definitely rings true. Our online cancer support network have recently shared the special role nurses have played and continue to play in their lives. It’s important to treat the disease, but it’s just as important to give the emotional support and warmth to help guide the patient and his/her family through treatment.
Thank you for this post.
Karen Glowacki
WhatNext.com
May 8, 2012 @ 9:04 pm
My husband’s oncologist is truly a wonderful person. It doesn’t seem possible that nine years have gone by and this year was the first year that we didn’t visit his office. When we started, we spent a lot of time in his clinic. We were so overwhelmed we really didn’t appreciate the caring staff until much later.
May 5, 2012 @ 8:26 am
I totally agree with you Laurie. I found the oncologists to be very cold without showing a bit of compassion. On the other hand, the nurses were angels from heaven……..lifting