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I appreciate my doctors, but as my wonderful medical oncologist said to me, he writes the orders and talks to the patients, but it is the nurses who do all of the heavy lifting and today it was all about the nurses taking care of me, holding my hand and checking in on me to make sure that I was okay on all fronts.
My nurses made sure that I understood every single step of my chemo, made sure that I was hydrated, comfortable and reassured. When it was time for me to head down to radiation, the nurses greeted me to explain what I could look forward to with my radiation treatment, they also told me about certain creams that will be helpful to ease my radiated skin, I had three nurses with me the entire time I was going through the toughest day, I had to go through my trial run and my actual treatment together because with the verdict handed down from the surgeon, no surgery, the need for rapid treatment and cocombinant treatments made it vital that my first chemo and my first radiation treatment go hand in hand.
I spent an hour and a half in my tight mask on a steel table and it was so, so hard. I didn’t know it was so long which was good because if I had known it was going to be that long, I may not have made it. When it was done, I told the nurses how hard it had been for me and they told me I had been a trooper and they promised me that tomorrow it will be so much shorter. When I went into the waiting room I walked passed my husband and ran to the ladies room and cried by myself. My husband knew I was upset and he took care of me by getting me signed out and taking me to the car so I could cry on his shoulder. I felt better after that. I think I cried because at one point I didn’t think that I could get through the radiation treatments because I didn’t quite realize how much time the trial run and the calculations had actually taken, once I understood how short the treatments are in comparison, it made all of the difference. I know I’ll be fine, tomorrow will be a walk in the park compared to today and that helps me feel so much better.
I am so lucky to have such great nurses taking care of me.
laurieanichols 
Great nurses make all the difference in the world. Sorry to hear today was so difficult..but like you say…tomorrow will be easier. Take care, Laurie Cheers
Thanks Chris, nurses are the backbone of medicine everywhere. Onwards and forwards lol
Tears for you Laurie. But also confidence because you ARE a trooper. xxxx
Thanks Jules 😀 I am a trooper, I know that about myself and it did push me to the other side, however I am infinitely grateful that I won’t have to go through that again.
Much love to you Laurie
When I was doing my radiation, I relied on the techs and nurses to get me through. They were all great. I could tell so many stories about how they got me through.
And of course, there was the constant support of my wife. Hang in there kid, starting is hardest part.
Thanks Andrew! My husband is in my corner and he has been more helpful than he knows. I completely understood what you meant about your experiences with your nurses, they go beyond the nuts and bolts, they humanize your experience and that’s important. Onwards 😀
My brother had to go for surgery the summer before he started medical school, and it changed his whole view of medicine, because the nurses were everything to him.
😀 That sounds like a very good thing. 😀
With modern medicine, sometimes ignorance is bliss. I had caesareans with both my children but the first time I didn’t know what to expect, and hadn’t thought to ask (blame it on baby brain – you know they suck the intelligence right out of you when you’re pregnant).
I was shocked to discover I was undergoing major surgery – though not as shocked as when they uncovered me and I found my legs up in stirrups and a doctor in my nether regions.
😉
Yes the legs in the stirrups is always a red flag that something is going on that isn’t of the usual, to put it mildly. Lol