The Nurses
Monday March 31, 2003
Carol Lieban presides over a talented group of nurses on Tower Seven. Her adept ways come from her absolutely grounded personality and over 25 years of experience as an oncology nurse.The first time Jim had chemo, six weeks ago, she helped make everything about the experience go smoothly. Even when she wasn't our assigned nurse, Carol has been there to talk with and to intervene when the going gets tough. She is direct, articulate and compassionate, and a patient advocate to the bone . Photo to follow soon.
The other nurses of Tower Seven who have helped us immesurably are June-in-Maroon, Lydia, Willy, Katie the Floater, Sandee, and Noe.
Tower Seven is not just a place that you stay when you are getting cancer treatment, but a place that stays with you. We have at least three more rounds of heavy duty chemo in the next few months, and we are comforted to know that these amazing nurses will be there to help get us through. Although the oncologists are the authors of Jim's treatment plan, and we love and trust them, they are but one part of the team that is helping jim to recovery.
The radiation team and the nurses at Queen's Medical Center are amazing. (We will have some photos up on the website soon.) In particular, our dear friend and nurse Scott Gilbert has been a in every sense you can imagine, the human embodiment of an angel. He appeared on the first day we got to Queen's - he was sent to put in a routine i.v. before Jim's surgery to insert the stomach feeding tube.
We had known Scott and his wife Lori from when they lived on the Big Island years ago. Scott is always a welcome sight, but on February 6th, Jim and i were overjoyed to see him again. Scott is an expert i.v. nurse. A guy who is good with a needle is exactly who you want walking in the room on the first day of a long journey with cancer treatment. But Scott is not just proficient in his work - he is a magnificent human being. There can be a lot of gloom associated with cancer - the "c" word - as people used to say. But when Scott walks in, all gloom vanishes. The light seems brighter, and it feels like there is more oxygen and good stuff to breathe in the air. If we could bottle the essence of Scott, many drug companies would be filing for bankruptcy. Scott is all the good "C" words - caring, conerned, compassionate, cute, courageous, conversationally gifted in that he listens and speaks with equal energy. Scott brings cancer literature, statlocks, extra gauze, better tape which is less irritating to Jim's skin, a whole goodie bag of medical stuff that makes life easier - but most of all he brings himself and his calm, welcome energy whenever he visits, which is often. We are so grateful that he is here.
The other nurses of Tower Seven who have helped us immesurably are June-in-Maroon, Lydia, Willy, Katie the Floater, Sandee, and Noe.
Tower Seven is not just a place that you stay when you are getting cancer treatment, but a place that stays with you. We have at least three more rounds of heavy duty chemo in the next few months, and we are comforted to know that these amazing nurses will be there to help get us through. Although the oncologists are the authors of Jim's treatment plan, and we love and trust them, they are but one part of the team that is helping jim to recovery.
The radiation team and the nurses at Queen's Medical Center are amazing. (We will have some photos up on the website soon.) In particular, our dear friend and nurse Scott Gilbert has been a in every sense you can imagine, the human embodiment of an angel. He appeared on the first day we got to Queen's - he was sent to put in a routine i.v. before Jim's surgery to insert the stomach feeding tube.
We had known Scott and his wife Lori from when they lived on the Big Island years ago. Scott is always a welcome sight, but on February 6th, Jim and i were overjoyed to see him again. Scott is an expert i.v. nurse. A guy who is good with a needle is exactly who you want walking in the room on the first day of a long journey with cancer treatment. But Scott is not just proficient in his work - he is a magnificent human being. There can be a lot of gloom associated with cancer - the "c" word - as people used to say. But when Scott walks in, all gloom vanishes. The light seems brighter, and it feels like there is more oxygen and good stuff to breathe in the air. If we could bottle the essence of Scott, many drug companies would be filing for bankruptcy. Scott is all the good "C" words - caring, conerned, compassionate, cute, courageous, conversationally gifted in that he listens and speaks with equal energy. Scott brings cancer literature, statlocks, extra gauze, better tape which is less irritating to Jim's skin, a whole goodie bag of medical stuff that makes life easier - but most of all he brings himself and his calm, welcome energy whenever he visits, which is often. We are so grateful that he is here.