So - Here's My Story: 04/12/10

It is done. Got the silicone a couple of weeks ago and all went smoothly. The Vanderbilt machine actually performed well. The surgery started only an hour late (believe me this IS on-time performance), all of the front desk people were polite, the nurses were efficient, knowledgeable, friendly. Amazing! My nurse got the IV on the first try. Wow. Once in three surgeries isn’t bad. After my surgeon came for his visit with his Sharpie, the nurse anesthetist must have sensed some anxiety as she unrequested gave me a double dose of Versed. There is no telling what I said! That is my last memory until it was done. Now don’t get me wrong, Vanderbilt is a bastion of excellence in medicine. I have always had incredible confidence in the quality of my healthcare, but the red tape and bureaucracy is a big problem at Vandy. The frontline “directors of first impressions” quite often leave me wondering how much they must hate their jobs. I have had a variety of interesting experiences ranging from the funny - a resident doctor who did not know how to work the sink in my room to wash her hands, to the insanely frustrating - checking in for an appointment and waiting an hour and a half because someone had not passed on the correct sheet to the right person. (and this happened twice - once before a surgery). We have had several problems with accounting - a $6000 payment that was not credited correctly and had to be tracked down for months. My pathology report was incorrect, I was initially incorrectly staged as Stage II instead of Stage I. This was after I waited three weeks for the pathology report. Luckily my oncologist caught the mistake. I still have not received the corrected version. And so on... now I understand you make some sacrifices in a teaching hospital but I wonder what the private sector would have been like?

All that being said, I know I have received top-notch medical care. My doctors are excellent and I think I am just now beginning to drive my plastic surgeon crazy with my need for immediate fabulous results on the reconstruction and a definitive timetable for that to happen. That seems only reasonable! Well his response was that he didn’t want to see me for 12 weeks. I can’t blame him.

I am constantly amazed at my friends’ and my acquaintances’ creativity and generosity. I wanted to share some of the cool things that have landed on my doorstep over the last 7 months. For the record, I have an extremely long list for thank you notes that I hope to get to some day in some fashion. (if you are wondering why you didn’t get one, no one has...) It is overwhelming to try and say thank you appropriately. So if you have called me, texted me, written me a note, written me an email, said a prayer for me, or had me in your thoughts, I am grateful. I am forever indebted to you and I promise you, it does matter and it has mattered to me more than I will ever be able to tell you.

Several people have asked me what people have done for me that has helped me, comforted me, and inspired me. My answer is - all of it. Phone calls, emails, texts, notes, visits, gifts, meals and more meals, playdates and rides for my children. The list is endless. Here are a few things I wanted to share.

Two very special friends gave me this. It has a ruby on the back signifying strength that stays close to your heart.

My cup runneth over - A cup that landed on my doorstep one day from a cute gal.

One of my favorite things to give (and receive) is a candle - here’s one I got in December

this is the amazing stack of silk scarves and bandanas from my friend Michelle. They were incredible to have. SOOOO happy it is time to send them back to her!