Receiving assist from nurse navigators — even simply to speak — allowed Ginger to assume extra positively throughout breast most cancers.
Identified in 2011 with breast most cancers after my routine annual mammogram, I used to be fairly positive of a optimistic studying once I was requested to return again in for the outcomes. Earlier than this mammogram, I might obtain the “All Clear,” and good-to-go detrimental outcomes through a letter within the mail.
I used to be accompanied by my household and nurse navigator, Jan Brown, from the Ladies’s Wellness Heart at my native Hospital. I recall the physician speaking however I couldn’t hear the phrases — I solely noticed his mouth transferring.
When his verbiage really registered with my mind, I teared up together with my whole household. I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself, however the occasion introduced up extraordinarily unhappy recollections of my dearest pal and neighbor, who had handed six years earlier from breast most cancers. Sadly for my pal, nurse navigators hadn’t change into a part of the usual medical therapy regionally at the moment.
I’ve since realized from my pal and nurse navigator, Susann Burnett, that Dr. Harold Freemen is the daddy of affected person navigation and is the first individual chargeable for right now’s nurse navigators.
Total, I’ve by no means been a gaggle joiner. I have a tendency to hunt out options by myself and transfer ahead. However this was most cancers, this was totally different, and I knew it, as I used to be raised to be impartial from an early age. I used to be going to wish all of the assist I may discover. After my preliminary examination with the surgeon, nurse navigator, Jan Brown who was in attendance, gave me her enterprise card and advised me to contact her anytime I wished to speak.
Unbiased, robust me; Ha, I phoned her the very subsequent day, and she or he was there for me!
The utmost essential subject right here is nurse navigators. I used to be really blessed with two spectacular nurse navigators helping me in my breast most cancers Journey: Jan Brown and Susann Burnett, RN, BS, CN, BN. These two ladies have been/are God-sent in holding me optimistic and transferring ahead throughout and after beating most cancers.
Their verbal and bodily assist can’t be measured in mere phrases or numbers on a chart. After my surgical procedure, I met my second nurse navigator, Susann Burnett. She really opened the Ladies’s Wellness Heart on the then Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo, CA because the Nurse Navigator in cost, in 2008.
From telephone calls and emails to bi-monthly native group conferences, supporting myself and plenty of others in breast most cancers survivor walks/fundraisers, occasions and informational conferences, your nurse navigator(s) is a basic a part of a most cancers journey and shouldn’t start, with out her optimistic uplifting help, instructional information, total psychological and bodily assist and most significantly, friendship.
This put up was written and submitted by Ginger Modiri. The article displays the views of Modiri and never of CURE®. That is additionally not speculated to be meant as medical recommendation.
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