Getting Back to Good

Getting back to good 7/23/07-7/25/07

Now that my life has changed in so many ways I have now had the experience of actually being a patient on a neurosurgery floor in the hospital. This experience is in sharp contrast to being a worker on a neurosurgery floor. It was a very strange time but a very positive one.

First off, my kudos got out to the staff of 5 East at the Cherry Hill Campus of Swedish Hopsital. They are a wonderful group of people who treated me so well. Most of the nurses that I worked with had been working there for 20, 25, 30+ years. It was very funny because this campus, where the Swedish Neuroscience Institute is housed is actually the Old Sisters of Providence Hospital in the Central District of Seattle. Many of you know that not only did I work at this hospital for 5 years but my Dad practiced at Providence for 30 years. He was Chief of Staff at one time. I remember as a kid, going with my Dad to round on patients on holidays or other times. I have vivid memories of eating with him in the ‘doctor’s lounge’ (read cafeteria.) At one time you came into the hospital and his picture was on the wall. Lots of memories for me. It is a beautiful facility and my time spent there was really good.

I also remember working in the gift shop, working in the Family Medicine Clinic as well as Outpatient Rehabilitation. A major component of my childhood and young adult life is mixed in with Providence Hospital. Additionally, after my Dad passed away one of the services we did for him was in the Auditorium at Providence. As I look back it was this memorial service that really represented closure for me after my Dad died.

Now I was back as a patient. Room 544 East. Being an inpatient in a hospital can be really difficult (especially for the control freaks in the room……………..not that we know any of these people.) You are really stripped down to basics and you have no schedule. One basically just waits around for the next diagnostic study, or the next meal, the next medication or the next physician visit.

The reason I was being admitted was to review the state of affairs in my spine post auto accident. I am not going to go into this information at this time. Suffice to say the neurosurgeons are on board with up to date films to monitor my spine closely as I go through treatment. For now no surgery is necessary.

The other aspect of my care that was handled while I was an inpatient was my pain management program. Pain management is hugely important and relates directly to how well people do during cancer treatment. I am sure there is a study out there with a ton of empirical date but just think about it. Who is going to respond better to cancer treatment? A patient who is in agonizing pain, who can’t think straight or focus or someone that has their pain under control and can function? Obviously the latter will.

I frequently use this type of an analogy when presenting AFLAC policies to people. Who will do better during cancer treatment? The client that has just been diagnosed and is worried about losing their job, losing their house, putting food on the table, bouncing checks, not having the money to make important treatment decisions or the client that has a cancer plan? Once diagnosed the first check they see from AFLAC is for at least $5,000. The money just keeps coming to them during their treatment. It is not contingent on their ability to work or not. Very powerful stuff.

The Pain Management Team at Swedish is a group of rock stars. They went far beyond asking me questions about my cancer/bone pain. They were focused on me and my family and what my life looks like. They wanted to now about my girls and my activities and my support network. This way, in am empowered to be in charge of my pain instead of the other way around. I left with a plan and a program and many options to manage the pain I may or may not have. This was the best takeaway from the inpatient stay I could have. To know that I can be at home, with my stuff, and my bathroom, and my family instead of having to be in the hospital really did a lot for my and how I am visualizing this fight going forward.

I was really happy.

I will sign out from this dispatch knowing that my family and I are in your thoughts and prayers every day that passes. You all are part of this. You are the legions of people in our ‘Family of Choice’ that are standing with us. I feel lifted up and closer to wellness and protected because of each and everyone of you. Please do not forget, for even one moment, that we are all exactly where we should be right now and your presence in my life is so very precious to me.

Love Meesh