MARITA’S STORY
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“I was diagnosed with breast cancer on June 19, 2009 after a number of tests including a biopsy that was performed at St. Joseph’s Hospital Breast Clinic. At every step of the way, there was always a nurse or technician that guided me through one test or another in an incredibly daunting journey. My first surgery in July was a lumpectomy to remove a large lump with the surrounding tissue in a bid to conserve the breast. The sentinal node was also removed for testing. When the pathology came back, I returned for another surgery four weeks later to remove more tissue and an ancillary dissection was done – the removal of lymph nodes from the under pit and more in the breast due to a positive test on the sentinal node. Once the surgeries were done and the margins were clear, I was sent to the LRCP for consultation with Oncology. My chemotherapy commenced on the 22nd of October and I was slated for 6 rounds every three weeks.
The stories in the LRCP from patients varies from one patient to another but what does not is their admiration for the nurses who guide and assist them through one of the most challenging and fearful experiences of their lives. You are assigned a cancer file number and a primary nurse whom you can call during the week if you have any questions. Prior to your chemo, you are invited to a class run by a nurse where you can ask necessary questions about your treatments prior to receiving them. The nurses know the stages of emotions and are clearly sensitive to their patients by allowing them to talk without being cut off or dismissed. They are the ones who find the physicians to get prescriptions filled. They are truly our front line of communication and ones that we turn to for help.
The wait times can sometimes be hours and it is not unusual to have an early morning appointment and not leave until just around lunch. The notion of removing any nurse in this department would clearly create a backlog. People will fall between the cracks without the current staffing which is already stretched. It appalls me that the nurses, regardless of what department they work in are usually the first ones looked at for cuts in a budgetary squeeze.
They are truly our unsung heros.
Always,
Marita ”
Now, there is a story of one of our women that has the conviction to stand for her belief, share her story and share the “Why” our nurses deserve the respect and job protection that seems to be missing, in this economy.
“Let us not cut our noses to spite our faces……”
