I've been wanting to tell you this
plh4gail
Member Posts: 1,238 Member
Just a little story to share.
As some of you know I was an ER RN for 15 years and loved my job. I got my cancer diagnosis in June 2010. I tried to work and it only lasted 3 weeks into the radiation/chemo pump when I had to go on LOA. I wasn't able to go back to work. The surgeries and chemo was hard on me and my job required 100%. So after being off work for a year, losing my position that I loved, I tried to go back to a night shift I was given ...which didn't work out. I ended up in a new position at a different hospital in a nearby town. It was so much work to learn my new job as Case Manager and give up bedside nursing. I do love the flexable schedule I now have and feel blessed to have it.
Do you all believe in "things happen for a reason"?
The unit I am on has 37 patients. It's a Med/Surg unit. Daily, there are pt's just out of surgery with our diagnosis...colorectal cancer, new colostomy or temporary ileostomy or different cancers too. (among other health problems). I face daily what I/we went through. I have been asked if its hard to go through over and over, and it's not at all. I just think its strange I ended up there when I wasn't even wanting to leave my other job.
The other thing I wanted to share is this. I don't just talk to everyone about my cancer, but if the situation opens up, I share. So one day at lunch it came up, and one of the girls in her 20's was asking me questions. She said she has been bleeding and wanted to have it checked but her friends and family said its probably a hemorrhoid. I told her that was how I was misdiagnosed for a year and a half before I found out I was staged at 3C rectal cancer. I encouraged her to have it checked, although I admit I was thinking along the hemorrhoid diagnosis.
Well, last week she came to my unit. She had a sigmoidoscopy where they found a large polyp that with pathology came back cancer!! They then rescheduled her for a colonoscopy which came out ok, but OMG! They told her how lucky she was at being so persistant when no one wanted to listen to her. Now she will have all the close following we all have and a chance at a healthy life. But what a lucky girl to have caught it in her 20's.
She hugged me and thanked me and said she would never have pushed the issue if I had not told her my story. After hugs and tears, I felt like I knew why I was led to the job I now work at. If for no other reason, that young girl needed to cross paths with the right person.
peacelove&happiness,gail
As some of you know I was an ER RN for 15 years and loved my job. I got my cancer diagnosis in June 2010. I tried to work and it only lasted 3 weeks into the radiation/chemo pump when I had to go on LOA. I wasn't able to go back to work. The surgeries and chemo was hard on me and my job required 100%. So after being off work for a year, losing my position that I loved, I tried to go back to a night shift I was given ...which didn't work out. I ended up in a new position at a different hospital in a nearby town. It was so much work to learn my new job as Case Manager and give up bedside nursing. I do love the flexable schedule I now have and feel blessed to have it.
Do you all believe in "things happen for a reason"?
The unit I am on has 37 patients. It's a Med/Surg unit. Daily, there are pt's just out of surgery with our diagnosis...colorectal cancer, new colostomy or temporary ileostomy or different cancers too. (among other health problems). I face daily what I/we went through. I have been asked if its hard to go through over and over, and it's not at all. I just think its strange I ended up there when I wasn't even wanting to leave my other job.
The other thing I wanted to share is this. I don't just talk to everyone about my cancer, but if the situation opens up, I share. So one day at lunch it came up, and one of the girls in her 20's was asking me questions. She said she has been bleeding and wanted to have it checked but her friends and family said its probably a hemorrhoid. I told her that was how I was misdiagnosed for a year and a half before I found out I was staged at 3C rectal cancer. I encouraged her to have it checked, although I admit I was thinking along the hemorrhoid diagnosis.
Well, last week she came to my unit. She had a sigmoidoscopy where they found a large polyp that with pathology came back cancer!! They then rescheduled her for a colonoscopy which came out ok, but OMG! They told her how lucky she was at being so persistant when no one wanted to listen to her. Now she will have all the close following we all have and a chance at a healthy life. But what a lucky girl to have caught it in her 20's.
She hugged me and thanked me and said she would never have pushed the issue if I had not told her my story. After hugs and tears, I felt like I knew why I was led to the job I now work at. If for no other reason, that young girl needed to cross paths with the right person.
peacelove&happiness,gail
0
Comments
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Gail
Thats just a beautiful thing that happened. I believe things happen for a reason and I think you are just where you are suppose to be. Best of everything to you
Jennie0 -
greatidlehunters said:Gail
Thats just a beautiful thing that happened. I believe things happen for a reason and I think you are just where you are suppose to be. Best of everything to you
Jennie
So glad it had a happy ending.. good to hear those stories.0 -
Do you hear that?
That's me clapping and cheering for your talking to the young woman and her listening to you. What a beautiful story. Thank you Gail!!!
Winter Marie0 -
Gail
This is a great story, and thank goodness she was wise enough for being so young not to just ignore it. It was so good of you to share. I put off going to the dr for about 6 months telling myself it was a hemi, but turned out to be anal cancer. I have told my friends and family that if you know something isn't right, get it checked out. Thanks for sharing. Lori0 -
Great Save!
Gail,
I love your story. You are where you're supposed to be. It's interesting how that happens. It sounds like your meeting this young woman was no accident. Bless you both and I'm happy for the patients that have you for a nurse.
Sending light and love.
Laura0 -
Wow!!!lauragb said:Great Save!
Gail,
I love your story. You are where you're supposed to be. It's interesting how that happens. It sounds like your meeting this young woman was no accident. Bless you both and I'm happy for the patients that have you for a nurse.
Sending light and love.
Laura
Wow!!!0 -
Telling our Story...tommycat said:Everything for a reason,
Everything for a reason, right? You two were meant to cross paths.
Thanks for sharing this heartwarming story.
Even though I worked in health care for 20 years, I, too,, am quiet about my cancer story. After reading this, it is clear that telling our story saves lives. Although I don't want cancer to define me, your story will help me to share my story.
Thank you. You are in the right place. I would love a nurse taking care of me who really did know what it was like!
Cathleen Mary0 -
You are a beautiful personCathleen Mary said:Telling our Story...
Even though I worked in health care for 20 years, I, too,, am quiet about my cancer story. After reading this, it is clear that telling our story saves lives. Although I don't want cancer to define me, your story will help me to share my story.
Thank you. You are in the right place. I would love a nurse taking care of me who really did know what it was like!
Cathleen Mary
You are a beautiful person Gail, inside and out!
I try and do a good deed everyday... The good deed comes in many forms, but they are always accepted.0 -
glad you were there
Hi Gail,
Wow- you said it- you were lead to this job so you could help direct people who might have been blown off by their doctors or just wouldn't have pushed the issue- like this woman in her 20's- if they hadn't heard your story. I'm glad you were there.
Hugs to you Gail!
Lisa0 -
You are where you are supposed to be!
Gail,
That is an amazing story and you are where you should be. Thank goodness you shared your story and encouraged the young lady to have it checked out. What a blessing! Thanks for sharing this with us.
Hugs,
Sara0 -
Wow...
You saved her life!! Good karma is coming your way:)
x0 -
WonderfullKenny H. said:Awesome.
One fortunate girl. Good thing you came into her life.
Wonderfull story Gail.
Me too I so believe in destiny.
Fantastic that you can be a blessing to so many people everyday.
I also have spoken to many people with the same problems and told them to push for a colonoscopy.
They found my cancer when it was almost to late, after misdiagnoses for over 6 years.
Yes you are in the right place.0
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