Reflecting on the Above and Beyond

The very first time I ever stepped foot into an oncology office was the day my Dad was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma. The only thing I could think as I sat there was, “Why does anyone decide they want to become an oncologist or even work in a place like this?” These people have actually made the choice to work with one of the most dreaded diseases there is, every day. They have to tell people this disease is going to end their life, tell families their loved one’s time is limited, and give them the statistical odds of survival.

The second time I entered an oncology office was again with my Dad, this time for a second opinion. That long wait from the time you are seated in a tiny exam room to the time the doctor actually enters the room seemed so much longer and harder to sit through than the wait at any other doctor’s appointment I’ve ever had. Our experience in this office was much more positive, because we were given hope. My Dad was not treated like just another statistic with a 5% chance of being alive in 5 years. We learned about more treatment options and heard stories of positive outcomes. My mom and I were feeling a little better about the situation when we walked out of that office with a plan.

My Dad was admitted to the ICU a week later and started his Interleukin 2 treatments. We were blessed with some wonderful, caring, and skilled nurses. They checked in on my Dad frequently and monitored him closely. They not only did everything they could to make his stay comfortable, but they always asked if there was anything they could do for us. They offered us snacks and drinks and really went above and beyond to make us comfortable. The team of nurse’s on this particular unit had taken the initiative to make their own pamphlet with information about the treatment. They gathered information from previous patient’s experiences to help give their patients the best education on what to expect. The team of doctors and nurses encouraged him and let him know how impressed they were with how good he was tolerating the treatment.

The team of nurse’s that took care of my Dad really made an impact on me and has really made me take a hard look at myself as a nurse. I felt confident that my Dad was receiving some of the best care there is while he was hospitalized. I’ve so many times heard someone say, “This isn’t a hotel,” and I know I too am guilty. They didn’t have to offer to bring drinks, snacks, extra pillows, or blankets to us as visitors, but they did. This seems like such a small simple gesture, but it really meant a lot. The little things that we tend to complain about as nurses can make such a big impact on a family dealing with a difficult situation. The nurse’s didn’t have to create that pamphlet for their patients, but they did. It’s hard to understand just what the patient’s family is going through until you ARE the patient’s family. These nurses went above and beyond even while working in one of the toughest specialties I could imagine and I have great respect for them. I hope someday I can make just a great as impact on someone else as they have on me.