People Are Still People Even With Cancer

Life does not stop with a cancer diagnosis. It should not. If you have cancer, you are still a person. You do not need to let cancer take over everything. You are still a human being and need to do normal human being things. Like going on vacation. Or moving to another state.

If you want to go on a vacation, all you need to do is talk to your oncologist and they will help you figure out what changes need to be made. If you are in the middle of chemo, you can probably take a week off. Its not that complicated.

Your cancer diagnosis does not get to swallow you whole and take over everything in your life. People in cancer treatment also do things like visit friends, go shopping, go to the movies, and all sorts of other normal every day things.

The emotional break you get on vacation while you are dealing with cancer can be very beneficial. It can be very nice to just get away and not think about infusions, surgery, oncologists, tumors, and all sorts of fun stuff. (But if its related to cancer it is all crap.)

So go plan that vacation and have fun. You may not be up to sky diving but you can still go to the beach or admire a beautiful view.

Little bits of happiness in the medical worlds

The medical world does not need to be sterile and boring. Most waiting rooms have big screen tvs now. Chairs are comfier. They are trying to relax the patients a bit more.

I have been taking a family member for treatment to an area at the hospital where I haven't spent much time in a few years. I have noticed they are expanding the creature comforts for the patients and their family members. There is art. There is a lending library. There is saved seating. There is free coffee. Just nice little touches for long waits.

Then I saw this online:

A bunch of young men were seen running around a parking garage roof which is visible from the ICU rooms and oncology rooms of a Chicago hospital. I got a kick out of it. Apparently patients and providers a like did as well for its short life.

Engineering students made thousands of paper cranes for a hospital in Florida... The images are lovely and can be seen here.

While spending too much quality time at a medical facility, its nice for a little peek at something soothing or amusing.

Professionalism expected

No matter why we end up in a medical facility we expect professionalism in return as we bare our bodies and medical secrets to receive care. We expect zipped lips and snicker free countenances.

I know I have been a moron at times when really stressed and at an appointment. I am sure there have been those who struggle for a straight face in front of me. And then I hope they store those moments in the memories of ridiculous patients and not share them....

I also know my doctors talk about me. This I do not mind. I like it when my doctors compare notes on me because my ailments are overlapping and due to some of them, and toss in a few medical allergies and sensitivities, I am not eligible for other treatments and doctors are forced to be creative in my care at times.

However at all times, I expect professionalism. I expect to be treated as a human being with respect as any other human being.

Then I hear these stories. A study done on hospitalists in Chicago showing unprofessional behavior and 2/3s were guilty of it. Did you know that every time a doctor orders a test as urgent when it isn't, that is unprofessional? Everyone needs to wait their turn except when it is truly urgent. This is a note to all who have benefited from jumping line.... If all tests were urgent, none would be.

The unprofessional behaviors fell into four larger categories, which accounted for 76% of survey variance:

• Making fun of others
• Learning environment (for example, texting during conferences or not correcting a patient who mistakes a student for a doctor)
• Workload management (for example, celebrating a blocked admission or coming to work sick)
• Time pressure (for example, backing up a resident's note without being confident about the content of the documentation)

We can say 'hmpf that didn't happen to me'.... 'I am not a hospitalist I don't need to worry'.

But what if it happened to you, they made fun of you? What about this story of this woman who worked at the hospital and went in for surgery. Look what happened to her while she was sedated.

They painted a mustache on her and added  yellow tears down her face. If that was me, I would actually file a lawsuit. Something I have never done before.

Professionalism is one of the most important things we expect from our doctors. Its right up there with a good bedside manner and a knowledge of your ailments.

Yes, you can help

I don't understand this. It always seems to take someone famous to get sick or to die or to tell their story to make people realize that they could get it too and that they can help.

Earlier this week, Shannon Tavares who starred as Nala in the Lion King on Broadway died of AML or acute myeloid leukemia. She died because doctors were unable to find a bone marrow match in time.

Apparently now there is increased interest by the general public in becoming a bone marrow donor. Well, you always have had the option of becoming a bone marrow donor. This isn't different. Its just now a lot more people have become aware of it since she died.

I don't know I sometimes wonder if people live in a cocoon thinking that 'it couldn't happen to me' - whether its cancer, MS, car accident, house fire, or any other number of other 'bad karma events'. They are protected by this bubble of safety that will prevent it from happening to them.

Then when 'bad karma' happens to them or someone they know or admire, they realize it CAN happen to them. Then they jump on the bandwagon and want to help.

What they don't realize is that they always could have helped. They just didn't bother. There are lots of ways to help out. Do you donate to charities, do give blood, would you donate bone marrow, do you volunteer anywhere? Not everyone can do everything. My husband can't donate blood because he lived in Europe during the 1980s when there were fewer restrictions on Mad Cow beef but he does give weekly to the Red Cross through a payroll deduction.

Can you take a minute to think about how you can help others? If you are too busy to do something, can you donate money? Even $10 helps. If you have no money, can you help in your local school, hospital, or library by reading to children, usher at an event, donate blood or register for bone marrow donation?

Helping others isn't limited to money. It can be in lots of different ways. Its part of humanity to be kind to others. So yes you can help. Its just too bad that often someone has to die before people realize it.