A personal story.

[TNNurse]

Ten years ago yesterday I finished up a weekend of horrific stress in my job. I was the nursing supervisor in a hospital. Being the weekend, I was the administrator in the building. In those two days, an employee was taken to surgery twice with life threatening conditions. Much of the communication for his family and coworkers was my responsibility. The surgeon who is well respected indicated great concern to the staff. On Sunday, as he was back in surgery, I heard from the kitchen staff about an employee who had called to say he had been in a wreck on the way to work, could I check the ER. Well, his daughter was killed while sitting next to him in the truck he was driving and they were all taken to the trauma center at another hospital. I do not think he ever returned to work.

That coworker in surgery survived and I reminded him yesterday that it had been 10 years.

I went home Sunday night and was in bed early. I was mentally and physically worn out. I woke up about 4am with chest pain. I woke my CCU nurse husband and we went to the ER. We live out in the country and caught hell from everyone about not calling an ambulance. My BP was so high that I had EKG changes and was taken to the cath lab. My heart was fine, but my excellent cardiologist noted an irregularity in another vessel and sent me for a CT scan of my chest. That led to a breast biopsy which was positive. This was followed by surgery, chemo and radiation.

I doubt many people can credit their cardiologist for finding breast cancer. I reminded her today.

Sorry this is so long, but it is a huge anniversary, that might not have been. That one positive lymph node " was ready to burst and spread".

[LakeArenal]

1. Thank you for your nursing profession.

Your jobs are some of the unsung heroes of life. Literally LIFE!!! Thanks.

[TNNurse]

11. So grateful we retired before the pandemic.

Have ultimate respect for those who are still working, especially in hospitals at the bedside.

[Doodley]

2. Thanks for sharing your story. So glad the cardiologist caught your cancer.

[cilla4progress]

3. What a story,

TNNurse!

So glad you are with us today to share, and sorry for the losses! 😢

[sinkingfeeling]

4. My brother-in-law's cardiologist discovered his lung cancer.

[Oppaloopa]

13. My late fathers chiropractor discovered his Prostate cancer

[Tree Lady]

19. My husband's dentist

Found throat cancer, but that's probably more common. Sent him straight to specialist that saved his life. That was 25 yrs ago.

[niyad]

6. Thank you and all s/heroes in your profession. Thank you for sharing this with us, we

are so happy that you are here to do it. Blessings to your cardiologist.

[evolves]

7. Congratulations on the

10-year milestone! Here's to many, many more!

[MLAA]

8. Whew, so glad you had a very sharp cardiologist!

[FakeNoose]

9. Thanks for sharing this story

I'm glad you survived all that TNNurse!

This confirms my belief that we're lucky to be living in the age of modern medicine and medical research. Our medical professionals (including you and your husband) are able to work daily miracles saving lives and ameliorating physical ailments. Never in human history has there been such a time as this! And yet here we are, still fighting so many diseases and still working hard to help people survive the ravages of cancer.

We've accomplished so much in medical research, and there's still so much more work to do. Remember when we all believed that cancer would be beaten in our lifetimes? Now I'm not so sure, cancer got both my parents and it still seems to be on the winning side. You are one of the lucky ones.

[Fla Dem]

10. You were meant to be on earth and live a full life. Happy anniversary. May you have many more!

[Oppaloopa]

12. I can credit my eye doctor MD for suggesting I had cancer again In the breast and behind my eye

Had no vision in right eye Doctor was a retina specialist and had seen growths like that before Said it started with the Uterine cancer I had years ago moved to the breast and now the eye. Radiation on eye and breast People please see a eye doctor MD The vision works guys were saying seniors get this dont worry

[TNNurse]

14. Wow, that is so fortunate. Glad you got it checked.

[TexasBushwhacker]

20. It's amazing the things doctors can spot doing routine tests for other things

I'm 65 and have worn glasses for 56 years. I got in the habit of having annual eye exams because my prescription would change every year. Several years ago, they started to notice the pressure in my eyes was on the high side. That can lead to glaucoma, so now I get the eye pressure and visual field test done annually. Knock on wood, no vision loss yet.

Now I've added the retina scan as well. I found out I have a freckle on one retina, so they keep an eye on it to make sure it isn't growing, which could indicate melanoma. That's right. You can have a melanoma on your retina!

Now, when I recently fractured my right shoulder, they went ahead and did a chest x-ray. I found out I have a slightly enlarged heart. It's not that unusual for someone my age, but it is a reminder that I need to quit dragging my feet about losing weight and getting exercise.

[Jim__]

15. Glad you're still here to tell the story. - n/t

[XanaDUer2]

16. Glad you made it

I quit my job due to stress. It kills.

Hope you're in a better place now.

[Hekate]

17. I'm so glad you made it here after that, and to this day...

Thank you for sharing and for starting this rather important discussion.

[TNNurse]

18. I have no proof of any indigenous heritage

though I am from the south and we often claim that. However, I am very much in favor of sharing stories to pass on history and just for general education. Native history was passed down from generation to generation in oral history. Telling a personal story is more effective than just stating facts.

[Hekate]

21. I am a mythologist with a history background. I think so too...

There’s a time for facts — in historical records and in science — and there is a time for stories to weave them together in a way that will stick in the brain and touch the heart.

[TNNurse]

22. I wish I had earlier history teachers that made you understand the people in events.

My mother was good at teaching us family history with stories.

In college, there were more opportunities to learn with perspective.

[electric_blue68]

36. Yes, this. Brings people, and events to life.

[yardwork]

23. Amazing story and a good reminder to live every day to the fullest.

[malaise]

24. WOW!

Celebrate

[GeoWilliam750]

26. Thank you so much for all you have done

I strongly believe that your husband might also agree with me that you are probably an angel on temporary loan from heaven. Most nurses are.

I have also heard from good authority that nurses make up the majority of the admissions board to heaven.

[TNNurse]

27. Oh, I hope this will not disappoint you.

He knows better. He was an RN longer than I was. We are no angels.

[csziggy]

28. Five years ago my cardiothoracic surgeon found my kidney cancer

The fall before the nurse practitioner in my primary doctor's office heard a heart murmur so I was referred to a cardiologist. After much delay, a test was done of the pressure in the different parts of my heart - but the stenosis in my aortic valve was so bad they couldn't get the instrument through it.

While I was recovering from that procedure, I was approached by a cardiothoracic surgeon about joining in the trial to get TAVR (TransArterial Valve Replacement - going through the arteries to insert a new valve, similar to how stents are put in) approved for low risk patients. I was willing since otherwise they would have cracked my chest open to replace the aortic valve. So more tests later, I signed the paperwork to join the trial. Then the last test - a CT scan to make sure my arteries were open enough to let the instruments through.

They did the CT on a Thursday in October - Monday morning 8 AM I got a call from the surgeon. The radiologist had seen a mass on my left kidney - which apparently had not been there when I had a MRI in July as one of the first tests done for diagnosis. He told me that I had an appointment in two days with a urologist (who happened to be head of surgery at that hospital). The cardiothoracic surgeon hoped they could resect the kidney and let me stay in the trial.

I went to urologist and he told me that the position of the mass meant that they had to remove the entire kidney - but that my heart needed to be fixed first. So I was like, great, they're gonna cut my chest open then come back and cut my belly open. The urologist was confused, so I explained that I wasn't qualified for the TAVR since it was only approved for high and medium risk patients. He got on the phone and in five minutes, I was approved for the TAVR.

October 23, 2017, my heart was repaired. Within a week, I was walking and feeling much better than I had in years. Five weeks later (it would have been four but Thanksgiving) the doctors took out my left kidney. The mass was well enclosed and I didn't have to go through any chemo or other treatments. I went back for four years for scans to make sure there was no recurrence or spread. I was cleared last June and don't have to worry about.

I credit my nurse practitioner mostly for saving my life. None of my other doctors had heard that heart murmur even though I had complained for years about shortness of breath and told them that was the same symptom my mother had - and she'd been diagnosed with a stenotic aortic valve at 86. She refused to get operated on since at the time TAVR was not available. She lived to 97 but by the time TAVR was an option she had dementia and we (her daughters) decided that it was not worth the stress for her to go through it.

But even though I give the NP most of the credit, the CT required by the trial was the real life saver.

A note - now TAVR is approved for all patients. They are advertising it on TV. It is such an improvement over having to cut you up to replace a valve, it's unbelieveable.

[TNNurse]

29. Thanks for sharing your story.

You understand, glad you got the treatment you needed.

[csziggy]

30. I was very lucky and the medical professionals were very good.

I'm glad they caught your cancer, too.

[TNNurse]

32. I sent my doc a message today to thank her.

She responded, " I was glad to help". I assured her she did way more than help. She got me diagnosed. One of my chemo drugs was tough on the heart. She got echocardiograms and adjusted my BP meds to accommodate problems. She was great. There was no heart damage.

[csziggy]

34. I saw the nurse practitioner for the first time in years last month

And told her how she saved my life - twice over. She was training a new NP that day so the younger woman got to hear how great the experienced NP was. They were both happy to hear the story.

I don't get to see the cardiothoracic surgeon anymore, now that I don't need his services. The original cardiologist is still my go to guy though I don't have to see him often. Saw him last year to get clearance for a different operation. (I'm trying to set a world record for most operations in one lifetime without a per-existing medical condition.)

[dflprincess]

31. For years I've been borderline for needing choloestoral meds

all my numbers were "elevated" but because I had no other risk factors (no diabetes, BP is perfect) the data said I didn't need statins - and I really wasn't anxious to start one.

Five weeks ago I landed in the ER with a kidney stone & a CT was done. That showed some build up in my abdominal aorta that made it clear I need a statin. My internist put me on one immediately when he saw the test results (I was in the ER on a Saturday, he called me on Monday). Only 4 weeks and my cholestoral has taken a dramatic turn for the better & no side effects from the drug. That kidney stone may have been a blessing in disguise.

[TNNurse]

33. I encountered patients who were in wrecks and X-rays found all kinds of other issues.

That happened with blood tests, EKGs and such. There were there for another reason and found something that needed treatment.

[dflprincess]

35. It does make me wonder if anything else is going on

I've been lucky and never really had health issues, this really rattled me when I found out about it (I'm less rattled now that I know the Crestor is doing it's job). But, on the up side, not finding out could have been a lot worse.

[woodsprite]

38. My kidney stones were a blessing in disguise.

I have a history of them and was having some pain on the same side, location of my other kidney stones, so my urologist had me go for ct scan.

Turns out I had 2 non-passable, but stationary non-active kidney stones (5mm and 8mm), but they found a mass on the scan 4x3cm. They thought it was a colon mass, but colon dr saw nothing on the colonoscopy and biopsies were negative. He called my ob/gyn who saw and felt nothing on examination, so he sent me for a ct guided biopsy where they went through my back pelvic area. It was a recurrence of endometrial cancer from 15 years prior.

So thankful I have persistent docs that communicate and thank goodness for kidney stones!

[Stuart G]

37. Thank You for posting...K and R..Also, Thank You for Sharing With Us.

[llashram]

39. my oncolgy surgeon

and others in the last 4 years have been like yours, the best. May your healing go well.