I Love Nurses!

Today, I specifically love Alex. She's my Oncology nurse. And she rules.

Yesterday, day 8 of the seemingly never-ending diarrhea extravaganza that my body has been throwing, I as starting to get a little nervy.  It doesn't help that everyone at work was concerned about me and had been asking every day how I was feeling.  It was sweet that they all care so much, but it also contributed to my own worrying, which had been fairly low up til yesterday.  I was annoyed and felt inconvenienced (who wouldn't, constantly feeling like they were about to poop?!) but not really nervous.  But then all of these concerned faces and wrinkled eyebrows... and the fears started coming.  Sigh.  Ryan told me it is hard for the people who love me not to worry about me.  And I get it.  I truly appreciate that I am so cared about at my job - that I work with such wonderful, compassionate people.  I know no one meant to set my fears off... it's just part of this new life.

As I was texting with Ryan (who was in Cologne, Germany yesterday - JEALOUS!) about my escalating nervousness, he immediately suggested I call Alex.  This was his recommendation through my entire treatment process, every time I got sketched out by my symptoms or anything.  (Mum's was to call Jennifer, my radiation nurse - nurses are my heroes, clearly, so I just want to throw in here that I am VERY excited about the possibility of my beloved Lacey becoming one - she will OBVIOUSLY end up being many people's hero - she pretty much already is!)  So, I heeded my husband's advice and called Alex.  I already had an appointment scheduled for today with my regular doctor, but I knew as soon as Ryan mentioned it that talking to Alex about my explosive ass would ease my mind.

I called her up and left her a message, and she called me back moments later.  I explained my ass-plosiveness to her, and she assured me that this could just be a lingering side effect from the radiation to that area - especially since it was having ZERO response to OTC goodies like Pepto and Immodium.  She told me she'd talk to another nurse-I-love, my Nurse Practitioner, Erin, and try to get a script called in for me for something a little stronger.  I forget what it was called, but it seriously sounds like medical-speak for "put a cork in your ass" pills.  I was pleased.  I was also immediately no longer nervous at all.

Less than an hour later, Alex called back again.  Not only was my script waiting for me at my pharmacy, but my last PAP test results were in and again were negative for any naughty cancery nonsense!  Bonus good news!!!  I am TRULY TRULY in remission.  So awesome!

The funniest part of this entire situation is that just TALKING to my amazing nurse seems to have corked my behind.  I have not had diarrhea since about 20 minutes BEFORE I made that call to Alex.  I have these pills, and I have not taken one.  I have my appointment in an hour and a half, and I guess I'll just get checked out anyhow.  Better safe than sorry, as I have learned.

So anyhow.  Cheers cheers cheers to all of the beautiful and amazing nurses I know.  To Alex and Erin and Jenn, to Alicia and Lisa, to Gale, to Natalie, to Lacey (and any of you other awesome folks out there I forgot to specifically mention) - I love you all not just for what you do, but for who you are.  It almost makes me think I might want to look into this myself.  Is that bananas??

Xxo, Phoebe

Comments

Awwww shucks. Thanks for your support! After everything that went down/goes down/might still go down with Spencer, I appreciate nurses even more. Though I'm not sure I can work with children. I'm a little too soft for that :/

But thanks. It really does mean a lot to have supportive people backing me up.
r'n'r-RN said…
*hug*
The best part of the job is getting our patients back to the baseline, or better!
I like nursing because it is unique in that you can combine good-ole science with natural compassion.
I'm doing a happy dance for you (and I do happy dances for anyone who continues to kick cancer's stupid ass, and stuff.)
Thank you for the shout out. I love your bravery and honesty. Nurses are advocates for their patients. You are providing that for others, too. This blog is a place to go where you can find stuff that we're all thinking, but don't have the guts to ask, or tell.
Thank you for the blog. I can't even imagine how many people you are helping with your bravery!
Michelle Auer said…
I wounder if you could have been aggravating it with nerves. I know a lot of rock guys who have to poo right before they go on stage because of nerves, and if people were getting you all worked up, and then once you talked to the nurse, the feeling went away? Just a thought.
I'm just happy you are not assplosive any longer! xoxo
Lisa said…
Thank you :) patients like you make our job so wonderful!!!! We love being appreciated

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