A general thank you

[Just_Jen]

This past January, my 51 year old uncle was diagnosed with AML, pretty advanced. They weren't optimistic that he would even survive his first round of chemo. But, he did. He was a fighter and wasn't going to let this beat him. He did so, so well - better than we could have hoped. Then, his oncologist dropped him because he didn't have insurance. The day of his next chemo treatment. His cardiologist scrambled and was able to find someone to take him on for free. The hospital (Carson/Tahoe) agreed to take him as a charity case. We were back baby! Chemo continued and he continued to do well. On Friday, May 8th, he went to the ER for rectal bleeding and pain in his right leg. The ER told him it was hemmhroids, gave him some pain killers and sent him home. Saturday evening, he had a massive heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately I'm in Texas, and couldn't make it to Nevada to be with him. They told us an hour. Then he was still hanging on. They told us any minute. He kept hanging on. My Grandparents (the only family around) finally left the hospital to shower and change. On their way home, he went down hill, rapidly. They didn't make it back in time to be with him when he passed. However, the ER nurse, an oncology nurse and the RT never left his side. They held his hand, talked to him and made sure he didn't die alone. Several of his oncology nurses attended the service we had for him, and shed tears. It has touched me in a way I can't even put into words. It matters, so much, what you guys do. Because of this, the care he received, even though he was "just" a charity case, I'm going to be a nurse, starting school next month.

So, a general thank you, for who you are at the core, and for what you do for the patients and their families.