Ginny McAlister

[edmia, BSN, RN]

I'm surprised Ginny's story hasn't yet made it to AN. I started to hear rumblings of her story about a month ago on a few feeds I'm a part of because she was a midwifery student at Frontier Nursing University and I have a couple of colleagues who are graduates of that program. Today, I took the time to read about her and her choice to continue her studies even after a cervical CA diagnosis that finally took her life last week. She was nearly done with her midwifery degree and FNU granted an honorary degree that arrived in the mail the day before she passed -- fulfilling her dream and dying wish to be a midwife.

I have to confess that I have mixed feelings about her choice to continue with graduate school while raising 2 young kids and going through chemo. I don't know that I would do that. I would probably choose to spend my last years concentrating on my family. I'm not judging her choice, I'm just not sure what I would do with a reality such as hers.

Her story is both inspiring and sad. Thinking about her young children and husband is just wrenching. It makes me mad too -- cancer is such a b....! Her personal blog's last entry is a moving reflection on her brother who has some mental disability and her struggle with dying and leaving him without her. It's amazing how generous she was with her heart.

[edmia, BSN, RN]

I am surprised that Ginny's story has not yet made an appearance in AN. I was alerted to her situation a few months ago from a few FNU graduates I know. Ginny was a midwifery student at FNU who was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cervical CA about 2 years ago. She fought it and lost -- and the whole time continued with her studies. The day before she died, she received her honorary midwifery diploma from the university.

I have to say that I do not know how I feel about her choice to continue her studies. I'm not sure I would make such a decision. I would probably choose to stop everything and concentrate on my family. But, I took the time to read Ginny's blog and found her words made sense. Her dream of becoming a midwife carried her through the chemo and gave her a goal to aim for.

Her story is pretty amazing and sad, of course. She passed away last week and left a husband and 2 young children. There's a great video on YouTube that she and her friends made a while back that is really inspiring. I was very moved by her story and wanted to share it.

[eagle78]

Thanks for sharing. So sad.

[A&Ox6, MSN, RN]

When I was coordinating my school's team for the breast cancer walk, my professor told me of an alumnus who had completed nursing school with stage 4 breast cancer. She died the day of her scheduled NCLEX

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

I can give some insight into why some people with cancer do not make huge changes to their lifestyles. A friend of mine had cancer, but it was certainly treatable. She had to take time off from her job--an acute care nurse--for her surgeries, but she did not miss a day of work through chemo or the rest of her treatment. She explained to me that as long as the treatment side effects did not necessitate time off, she was going to continue her life as if this curveball had never been thrown at her. Some people need normalcy as a coping mechanism.

[edmia, BSN, RN]

I can give some insight into why some people with cancer do not make huge changes to their lifestyles. A friend of mine had cancer but it was certainly treatable. She had to take time off from her job--an acute care nurse--for her surgeries, but she did not miss a day of work through chemo or the rest of her treatment. She explained to me that as long as the treatment side effects did not necessitate time off, she was going to continue her life as if this curveball had never been thrown at her. Some people need normalcy as a coping mechanism.[/quote']

Yes. The sense of normalcy must be the driving force. I just can't imagine the physical strain though. I barely have enough energy as it is, can't see myself moving at all if going through chemo.

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[OCNRN63, RN]

I can give some insight into why some people with cancer do not make huge changes to their lifestyles. A friend of mine had cancer, but it was certainly treatable. She had to take time off from her job--an acute care nurse--for her surgeries, but she did not miss a day of work through chemo or the rest of her treatment. She explained to me that as long as the treatment side effects did not necessitate time off, she was going to continue her life as if this curveball had never been thrown at her. Some people need normalcy as a coping mechanism.

I tried to do the same thing; unfortunately, chemo had another idea. But I went to work every day for 4h, except for chemo day and 2 days afterward. That was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I even went to work one day when my Hgb was 6.6...wound up getting sent home with a fistful of masks after my Dr. office tracked me down to tell me I was severely neutropenic (WBC-0.9, ANC-~500s). I was sucking wind like a fish on dry dock by the time I walked to my car to go home.

You do whatever you can to prove to the world, and yourself, "I'm not sick, I'm not sick."

[edmia, BSN, RN]

I tried to do the same thing; unfortunately chemo had another idea. But I went to work every day for 4h, except for chemo day and 2 days afterward. That was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I even went to work one day when my Hgb was 6.6...wound up getting sent home with a fistful of masks after my Dr. office tracked me down to tell me I was severely neutropenic (WBC-0.9, ANC-~500s). I was sucking wind like a fish on dry dock by the time I walked to my car to go home. You do whatever you can to prove to the world, and yourself, "I'm not sick, I'm not sick." [/quote']

I'm glad you got through that OCNRN.

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[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I think when people with terminal illness insist on continuing with academic studies it may be to feel some control in their life or to feel "normal". So sad she died so young.