I’ve talked before about my experience developing severe anemia from both iron and B12 deficiency. It happened so gradually that I was breathless just carrying on a conversation before I finally decided I needed medical attention! It’s embarrassing to admit this because if any patient had come to me with the list of symptoms that I had, I’d have known immediately what was wrong with them. Weirdly, I could not diagnose myself.

Many times, I have watched an incredibly frail patient walk unsteadily into the wound center, and thought to myself, “How do they manage to function from day to day, as frail as they are? And how did they end up so very debilitated?” The answer is, “The debility happens so slowly, you forget what it is like to be normal.” That was a huge revelation for me.

Thankfully, my problems are totally fixable. I had a good reason for allowing my health to slip – I was a caregiver and didn’t have time for myself. However, now that I can take care of myself, I have to be proactive not wait to feel bad before I act. I only need iron infusions about once a year now. That entails spending a few hours in a big infusion chair at a cancer center – even though I don’t have cancer. I want to be clear that all I have is malabsorption related anemia! However, once a year, sitting in a room full of cancer patients is a great opportunity to say my “thankfuls.”

As I sit here, I notice how much like a wound center this place is. There are patients from all walks of life, but they feel a sense of community. They try to give each other encouragement. They smile even though they feel bad. It’s inspiring just to sit here. I am surrounded by quiet bravery. It’s humbling to sit here.

Also, like wound center nurses, the infusion nurses are AMAZING at what they do. It’s a calling and not a job. The work is hard and often sad, but they are cheerful. They smile, they hug patients. They administer kindness – not just medication. Also, it’s obvious they know what they are doing, and that professionalism is very reassuring.

I hope that everyone in this room will get better thanks to the treatment they are getting. However, I suspect that I’m the only person in this room who’s actually going to feel better today.

 It’s good to be reminded what it’s like to be a patient. 

It’s good to be reminded that health is a blessing.

It’s good to be reminded that life is short, and time is precious. 

It’s good to be reminded that perhaps the most important treatment for doctors and nurses to dispense is “grace.”

Today I am thankful for the wonderful nurses at Millennium Oncology in The Woodlands, Texas. I appreciate all of you! (See you next year!)

Caroline

Caroline Fife, M.D.

Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to improving patient outcomes through quality driven care. Please visit my blog at CarolineFifeMD.com and my Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/carolinefifemd/videos

The opinions, comments, and content expressed or implied in my statements are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the position or views of Intellicure or any of the boards on which I serve.