Abandonment

Abandonment
While I was killing time on uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room, Nurse Jackie came into the room and seemed to light the room up with her cheerful attitude. Well, it seemed that way to me. Jackie thanked me for the nice words I wrote about her in my January 5th blog.

I was hoping that I would see Nurse Jackie for my appointment since this visit was to see how well my incision was healing. This was something that was well within her capabilities. I could see from my daily, post shower inspection that the wound was almost completely healed. I was just waiting for the last scab to drop off and then I was going to say that the wound was healed.

I also like Nurse Jackie because I have a great deal of confidence in her and her abilities. I also like her sometimes dry sense of humor. Nurse Jackie has a generally much better way of dealing with the patients than some of the doctors.

My wish was not granted.

I sort of felt like I had been abandoned yesterday when I went to the see the surgeons for a follow up visit to my January 29th operation.

My first sense of abandonment came when the medical student came into the examining room. Previously, I had been seen by either surgical residents or Nurse Jackie. The medical student was in a surgical training rotation; she wanted to go into either family practice or pediatrics.

So much for interest in a cancer surgery patient.

The medical student took the time to glance over my file to gain some understanding of my condition. I sometimes worry when I am more familiar with the course of my treatment than the doctors who are supposed to be managing it. She asked me a lot of questions which I duly answered.

I asked her about a reaction that I had been having intermittently when I drank a large glass of cold liquid. She asked some more questions as she thought I might have lactose intolerance.

Not likely; I have been enjoying milk and cheese since I can remember.

She went off to ask her supervising physician about my question. She said she would be back in a few minutes.

That was not to happen.

I knew this was going to be more than a few minutes. But, after 40 minutes of waiting on a modestly comfortable chair, I got up and stood in the doorway as Nurse Jackie came by. I asked her if I had been abandoned since I had been waiting so long for the medical student to return.

Nurse Jackie took charge; she asked me to have a seat in the waiting room while she straightened things out for me. It is nice to see a woman take charge. I had barely gotten comfortable in the waiting room when a nurse called my name and gave me my next appointment, a follow up appointment in June.

Thanks Jackie.

I’m not too thrilled with the next appointment since the surgeons want to run a cancer marker blood test. Dr. Karen has one scheduled for tomorrow. I will ask her if I need to have another one in June or not when I see her on Friday.

The Fraternity
This past weekend was a Fraternity weekend for Doug and me. We flew to Salt Lake City on Friday morning after spending a near eternity going through the passenger screening process. The Los Angeles terminal for Delta Airlines was not running smoothly Friday.

My old chapter had been suspended five years for a variety of problems. It was reinstalled over the weekend; Doug and I participated in the reinstallation ceremony although Doug’s participation was unplanned for.

Because the chapter was being reinstalled, we initiated a group of undergraduates so they could take over the chapter operation. Doug and four other men were initiated into the Fraternity as special initiates.

Since the ceremonies are secret, I can’t really write very much except to say that Doug had a great time and was really glad he went through the ceremony. We have even made plans to go to next year’s Founders’ Day.

My Friend Sharon
My friend Sharon phoned while I was writing the blog entry.

Sharon wanted to know why I hadn’t written a nice recommendation for her for her Linked In page. She complained that I had done it for others.

Fair question I guess.

I said the others had asked me to write a recommendation for them and that I had. I pointed out that she had not asked me.

Oh. Yes, I will write a recommendation in a day or so. Sharon is now happy or will be after I write and post it.

I asked Sharon about getting together for lunch in May. School is moving and the campus will be closed for five days so I have time on my hands. Sharon thought this was a good idea and that I should sent an email out to her and Sue to confirm things.

More work for me.


Be well and stay happy.