Next week I’ll be back to stress-free, chronic illness lifestyle blogging, and I’ve got some great posts brewing…
- 5 Ways to Make Healthy Living Simpler (who couldn’t use a few time-savers) –and–
- What We Can Learn about Affirmations from the Placebo Effect
This week’s posts were taken up by doctor’s appointments and reflections on what this next year may have in store. To cap it off, I wanted to create a gratitude list for the doctors I’ve had in my lifetime.
I have a mountain of medical records from my childhood. There were six main doctors in my care: a pediatrician, a urologist, three GI surgeons and an orthopedist. Tucked between surgical reports, discharge papers and diagnostic tests are letters, lots and lots of old fashioned, typewritten letters sent by snail mail from the pediatrician to the urologist, from the urologist to one of the surgeons, from the orthopedist to the urologist, between surgeons,…
“I saw Danea in my office again on March 6, 1981. She is now almost 2 years old and is walking without support from one person to another. She does not have much confidence…With regard to the hips, I plan on seeing her back in 6 months.”
“As you know, Danea is now doing quite well following the repair of her esophageal artesia here in San Diego and of her cloaca by Doctor Hendren in Boston…I am sure George will let us know if anything shows up with her urologic studies. Thank you again for referring Danea. Please let me know if I may be of any further assistance.”
And they go on and on in a web of different directions. I was stunned. My heart swelled to know that these doctors created a collaborative system of communication to assure that I was healthy. And all of these letters, even the ones that weren’t to or from the urologist, came out of his files. He was kept informed of treatment and outcomes that didn’t directly involve him.
Last Wednesday and again on Monday, Phillip and I sat with two incredibly compassionate doctors. They reminded me of the team from my childhood. They were patient. They prompted questions. They listened intensely. They were honest. Clear. Reassuring. They helped me feel cared for at a very scary time.
While we were at the transplant nephrologists’s office on Monday, she mentioned that she had a letter from my regular nephrologist requesting that we do what we need to do to avoid dialysis and that they be updated on the outcome of our meeting. She assured us that another letter would be sent back.
That’s what I’m thankful for. The above-and-beyond. The years of training. The long hours. The care. The concern. The reassurance. The letters.
What is on your gratitude list for doctors?
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