A nod to nurses
Sorry for being away so long, folks.
I haven’t been sick. I’m still hanging in there.
In fact, next week I am going to have my tumor restaged. That will give my oncologist, Dr. Green, and me another chance to judge the effectiveness of my current chemotherapy regimen.
Anyhow, the real reason for this blog entry is to put out a little hype for National Nurses Days.
It may seem like every group or every cause in America gets its own day, but other than mothers, fathers and those who serve in the military, I can’t really think of a group of people more deserving of being honored.
National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6—also known as National Nurses Day—through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
It goes without saying that nurses are the heartbeat of any hospital or clinic. They do most of the grunt work and a whole lot of jobs that many of us would never consider undertaking. They have to be experts at hitting veins in order to start IVs. They also have to do some of the dirty work when it comes to dealing with patients’ bodily functions.
I would like to give an extra special shout-out to the nurses at Mercy Hospital’s Oncology/Hematology Department. Day after day, their patients are people facing the toughest battles. And day after day, they show up with smiles on their faces, compassion in their hearts and in-depth knowledge of their patients in their minds.
In fact, the nurses in the Mercy chemo department seem to know the patients almost as well as the doctors do. I can’t tell you how many times they’ve been able to help me through a rough day based on something as simple as a blood pressure reading.
Not only do the chemo nurses know their medicine, they are also experts at reading where the patients are mentally. They know how to be cheerleaders for cancer patients who need all of the positive support they can get.
I’ve also seen the Mercy nurses spring into action when a patient has a seriously adverse reaction to a chemo drug. No panic. No raised voices. Just pure professionalism at its finest.
If you have a relative or friend or acquaintance in the nursing profession, today would be a good day to recognize them with a kind word or two.
So, here’s a tip of the cap to my sister, the Mercy chemo nurses, and my cousin Mary B.
Everybody keep fighting.
We'll see you soon.
May 11, 2009 at 8:07 p.m.
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Today I came home to find a dozen lovely roses waiting for me... not from my husband (he knows better than to spend money on flowers), or a secret someone, but rather from my brother who is fighting everyday for his life. Over the past week I have felt quite pampered at work, and by my family. The hospital I work at makes a week long celebration for "nurses week" But the flowers I got were not for nurses day, or mothers day, but just because. Sometimes it is these moments in my life that take my breath away! Celebrate special moments everyday and count each day that you have with family as a blessing... you never know how long any of us has!
I love you John:)
Shelly
May 10, 2009 at 10 p.m.
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The nurses at Mercy are great and deserve our thanks and respect. I was recently at Mercy for a procedure and they took great care of me and made me feel safe and comfortable. They were helpful, cheerful, and very professional.
May 9, 2009 at 2:02 p.m.
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I would like to give kudos to the nurses at UW-Hospital/Clinics both in the Oncology Clinic, Transplant Clinic and the Interventional Radiology CLinic. My husband's nurse Lisa in the Interventional Radiology Clinic is the most compassionate and caring person we have met. She would call us every other day or so just to check on things and see if there was anything she could do.Unfortunately the treatments did not work and our outlook is not good -but we are cherishing each and every last day. So thanks again to the nurses at UW -and good luck to you John.
May 8, 2009 at 11:38 a.m.
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I do have to acknowledge here what great nursing staff are in the Mercy ICU. My neighbor, and dear friend, has been in the ICU for over 3 weeks now with viral infections and a probable stroke. He just went through a trach last week and is doing wonderful.
Although we are not relatives, the nursing staff understands the bond that we have. Although they cannot disclose certain things to me, we have talked generally about some of the things that my neighbor has been experiencing.
They have been professional throughout the process, understanding the bonds of the technical term of family and the chosen bond of family. They have also carried through on their professionalism by disclosing information only on the general aspect so as to be cautious not to violate the confidentiality of the patients!
KUDOS!
May 8, 2009 at 1:21 a.m.
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Two close friends of mine & my MOTHER"S are DR.GREEN & LYNN,but i also want to say thank you to "ALL" the nurses that attended my MOTHER! You all were very helpful to us,try as we all did,the cancer won. We got one year to LOVE & enjoy my MOTHER,and everyone of the team got to enjoy what a wonderful person my MOTHER was/is,THANK YOU FROM EVERY PAINFUL SECOND OF OUR LIVES WITHOUT HER. This first year without her on MOTHER'S DAY is going to be empty,but i will never forget the people at chemo that showed her & the family support & the love and compassion.You all deserve & should be commended. This day is for you! And good luck in your fight JOHN
May 7, 2009 at 8:14 p.m.
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Mr. McPoland: I have been reading your blog since its inception and I really appreciate your openness. Your articles have hit home to many of us who have experienced, either directly or indirectly, the horror called cancer. I hope you realize that there are many people who include you in our prayers and I commend you for accentuating the positive instead of dwelling on the negative.
Your statement in today’s article is absolutely wonderful. You wrote, “Anyhow, the real reason for this blog entry is to put out a little hype for National Nurses Days. It may seem like every group or every cause in America gets its own day, but other than mothers, fathers and those who serve in the military, I can’t really think of a group of people more deserving of being honored.” Way to go!
And, thank you for sharing such a personal voyage. May God Bless.
May 7, 2009 at 6:58 p.m.
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I was in the hospital for a week last fall, and the nurses were A1 . They do all the real work.
May 7, 2009 at 5:15 p.m.
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It takes a special kind of person to become a nurse. They work very hard and are the most caring people I know when it comes to any hopital or clinic. Happy nurses day; Nurses.
John, still thinking and praying for you. Good luck next week.
May 7, 2009 at 5:13 p.m.
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Thank you, SuperDave! You just made my day and I appreciate it.
May 7, 2009 at 3:54 p.m.
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John, I will be praying that the restaging is a beautiful sign set from God! You are right, nurses are mighty important! I know I have had many a conversations with so many that have helped me place things in perspective! They seem to have the talents of reading someone's mental state!
May 7, 2009 at 10:01 a.m.
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Kudos to our nurses! And that includes nurse4u and SarahB1!
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