Last Sunday, the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at VCU Health Systems (MCV to us Richmonders) hosted an Inaugural Celebration Event commemorating the success of the program over the years. Patients, their family, friends and other caregivers were invited. It was a great event and there was lots of good information presented by the staff.
One of the segments of the program was hosted by the Pre-Transplant coordinator that worked with me and tolerated me, and the other host was one of the clinic nurses who also tolerated me. In the segment, they invited former patients to share their own personal remembrances. I was invited to share my story and I know I stumbled, but this is how I wish it would have come out. Here goes:
A few weeks prior to being admitted to the Bone Marrow Unit for my final chemotherapy treatment and stem cell "rescue," I awoke in the middle of the night and was processing my anxiety about what lay ahead. As I laid there, an image came into my mind. In that image, I could see the buildings of the hospital complex and they were surrounded by dark, ominous clouds. I heard the words, "Something bad is going to happen there." I knew that the image was a manifestation of my anxiety and I let myself go back to sleep.
When I began the process of collecting my stem cells a few weeks later, I met an amazing group of medical professionals in the apheresis lab who made me feel comfortable on day 1. They listened to my anxiety and offered some professional insights. We connected immediately.
During that time, I was also interacting with staff (pre-transplant coordinators, social workers, dietitians, financial coordinators) who were responsible for preparing me to take the next step in the process. It involved the presentation of "the facts" of what was ahead. All of it was presented with the perfect blend of clarity, compassion and humor.
The food service staff, always cheerful and smiling, were always sure I had the correct menu choices and that they were on time for every meal. In fact, their chicken salad sandwiches and bacon for breakfast are 4 stars in my book.
I was grateful for the cleaning folks who meticulously cleaned my room and removed my dirty linens on a daily basis.
The nurses and care partners....who did the heavy lifting, never missed a beat as far as checking on me and administering treatment. They were there when I had reactions to medications. Most importantly, they tolerated and sometimes encouraged what I called "humor."
The doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners were always willing to examine, listen and follow up on any concerns I had regarding my status.
After my release as an inpatient, the clinic staff greeted me warmly upon arrival, the nursing staff would care for me during visits and engaged in the "guess today's blood counts" game that we created; never letting me leave the clinic until they were positive that all of my counts and necessary supplements were verified and met the required standards.
In the shadows, but a critical cog, is the clinical research staff. Without their efforts, my treatments would not have been "standard" or even known. In fact, MCV was one of the primary clinical research locations for one of the drugs used to mobilize my stem cells out of my bone marrow. Interestingly enough, that drug did not gain FDA approval until 2 months after I was diagnosed in October 2008.
As I look back and remember, I don't see the image I mentioned earlier. I can't see an image at all. But, I can tell you, that while I was there, I got a glimpse into heaven.
No comments:
Post a Comment