My husband's treatment for terminal cancer is now mainly in the hands of specialized nurses, supervised by an oncologist. I have to say how incredibly grateful I am for the quality of care they give.
Maybe it's because we live near a small town. Maybe it's because cancer treatment attracts the best of medical health practitioners. But I have to say I am amazed and relieved at the intelligence, sensitivity, competence and patience of these caregivers.
He goes to outpatients department on alternate weeks for chemotherapy, so he spends two hours being infused. Then he goes home wearing an infusion bag for two or three more days to deliver more chemo drugs into a vein (which is extended via a microtube into his chest cavity).
Then we return to outpatients for removeal of the empty infusion tube.
On alternate weeks, a public health nurse comes to our country home to change the dressing and clean and dress the area where the infusion tube enters the vein. (The tube will stay in place for six months.) She also checks on his general condition and care. The home visit is optional, we could go to the hospital to have this dressing change done. But since his immune system is compromized by the chemotherapy, I requested a home visit to avoid taking him to that nexus of contagious sick people, the hospital.
This sequence of treatment events brings us in contact with different staff. Every single one of the nurses and ward staff have behaved not only correctly, but in a generous and caring manner, well beyond their job requirements. I am so grateful for this. He deserves the best care.
And it is a huge plus factor, when assessing the human character. These women are caring for (I suppose this may be how they regard it) a member of an extension of their family. The gentleness and care, the affection and humor they share with him during treatment shows that they take it very personally indeed.
Have others found this level of care and concern? (I've had very little contact with medical staff except for routine things like kiddie's shots.)
Posts: 6335 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 06-11-02
When Dustin first came home from the NICU (he was born 4 months early and was in the ICU for infants for 5 months), we had Home Health Nursing care for him 2-3 x a week for several months. He became very sick in that first week and the Home Health Nurse was extremely vigorous about addressing his difficulties even to phoning his pediatrician on her own cell phone and discussing what she was seeing. Dustin DID end up coding (I had to do CPR on him myself) within only a few days and of course he was then placed in the ICU for another month of care.
I have found most of the Nursing care I recieved for myself and my son to be very good at the Home care level.
Actually, that is why I, myself, became a Home Health Nurse later.
I can only hope that I provided the excellence of care that me and my family received in the same arena.
Posts: 9086 | Location: PA, USA | Registered: 06-05-02
I don't have any advice for you and I don't have an answer to your question. I just want you to know that I'm thinking of you and wish you and your family comfort during this difficult time.
{{{{{ Babthrower }}}}}
Posts: 5305 | Location: The Motor City | Registered: 06-03-02
You guys are so sweet! My husband recovered from cancer once before, seven years ago. And later he said the most amazing thing. He said he was glad he'd got it! It made him 'smell the roses', and gave him a sense of how wonderful life is! I am getting a sense of that now, the innate decency and kindness of those nurses, and of so many of you here in AP.
Posts: 6335 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 06-11-02
I think that for the most part those who enter into medicine do so from an overly large heart to begin with.
Caring for others is not just an intellectual exercise (know how to do medical things) there has to be a desire there to make a difference.
* * * The biggest problems are those surrounding overworked staff. Those with too many patients to deal will or afford the time to "get to know" the patient.
I would imagine that a "small town" clinic has less of that issue thus you will find the caregivers more able to give individual care and time to patients over say Big City General Hospital that handles huge numbers of patients with usually understaffed, underfunded conditions.
* * *
I find my biggest problem with the Medical side of things is not the doctors and Nurses, its my Medical Insurer.
Posts: 3922 | Location: Leaving land, heading for the ocean | Registered: 06-03-02
