In the spring, I took over the cancer care of a patient from a colleague of mine who “retired”. I write retired in quotation marks because his departure was not a traditional retirement. He left because he was burned out. He was only a few years older than me. He probably had a good fifteen […]
I love my job for many reasons. Some of the most important reasons are the people I work with. I was reminded of this a few weeks ago as I had a casual conversation with a couple nurses. It was just before noon. New patient clinic had just finished. I was in one of our […]
The ability to communicate is a miracle that allows connection with others. Communication comes in many forms. I learned this again over the last few weeks from a patient and from a sea turtle. I realize this sounds strange. Let me explain. I met Mr. DJ last week. He came to see me for his […]
Every once and a while I am able to give one of my patients a much more meaningful prescription than the cancer drugs I can provide them. I was able to do this with CS. She had a big impact on me. At the age of fifty-two, CS was diagnosed with stage four adenocarcinoma of […]
Something incredible happened in clinic this week between a patient and my clinic nurse. It was so heartwarming I wanted to share it here. I met Ms. S in February 2018 after she had curative intent surgery for her stage 3 colon cancer. She was seventy-four then. My clinic nurse, who has been with me […]
Dear Patient And Your Loved Ones, I am told of your sighs while you wait to see me in clinic. I get reports from clerks and nurses about you when you ask how much longer it will be because I am taking too long to get to you. I hear about your angry tone of […]
I have grappled with stranger danger for most of my life. I am shy. I am terrible at small talk. I would rather stick a dull, hot poker stick into the depths of my eyeballs than talk to someone about the weather or make idle chit chat with acquaintances over drinks at a party. Talking […]
Most of the benefits my patients receive from my work as a medical oncologist comes from the drugs I prescribe for their cancers. Some of these drugs can increase cure rates. Some of these drugs do not help cure a cancer but can prolong the life of the cancer patient whose cancer is not curable. […]
The first meeting I had with Mrs. M is burned into a part of my brain. It will stay there as if I’ve been branded, a forever memory. Mrs. M presented to my new patient clinic one year ago. She came with her husband. They were equally lovely, quiet-spoken with delightful Irish accents, highly anxious, […]
I would like to share a story about a woman named Diana. I have known Diana since March of 2017. Diana has incurable pancreas cancer. The opportunity to have lengthy relationships with my pancreas cancer patients occurs infrequently. The sad fact of the matter with pancreas cancer is that it is often a quick killer. […]
Join me, through the stories I tell, and see the hope, grit, grace, and love that can be found in a cancer journey.
