The human side of dealing with cancer

It’s October: breast cancer awareness month. Like many of you, I don’t need pink ribbons and statistics-based stories in the media to remind me of cancer.

I live with the blessing of being a breast cancer survivor. I also live with the memory of others who weren’t so fortunate. I know what I’ve lost and what I’ve gained from this disease, and it has nothing to do with statistics.

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BARRY WILLIAMS/Special

Janine Feliciano, an infusion nurse for Kaiser Permanente, believes in connecting with patients.

If your life has been touched by cancer — either as a patient, a caregiver, a family member or a friend — you know what I’m talking about. Cancer patients aren’t just numbers; they’re real people with real lives.

So are the professionals who care for them. This month’s story on infusion-therapy nurses reminded me of what a lifeline those nurses were during my chemotherapy. They explained the technical stuff, listened carefully, answered endless questions and helped me through the terrors of receiving dangerous and life-sustaining drugs.

I’m sure I had the “wide-eyed and anxious look” that Janine Feliciano, an infusion nurse with Kaiser Permanente, talks about. My nurses made me comfortable and got to know me very well. Hey, you don’t exchange pound-cake recipes with just anybody.

Many people clam up when they’re nervous; me, I chatter. While my husband held my hand and pretended to read a history book, I told my life story — kids, work, travels, hobbies, pet peeves, you name it. The nurses listened, laughed and connected with me.

They shared their own stories as well as good advice gleaned from their specialized knowledge about how to deal with nausea, hair loss, lack of energy and fear. As Feliciano said, her patients “are coming for more than just treatment.”

She’s so right. Patients want someone who will see beyond the charts and the procedures. They want someone who smiles at their cute T-shirts and ignores their bald heads, or better yet, asks about their children’s soccer games. That’s life-giving medicine.

Since I’ve been editor of Pulse, many of you have told me that you were called to be a nurse, a therapist or to work in health care. Thank you for answering that call.

- Do you have any story ideas for Pulse? We’d love to hear more about your career and what you do after hours. Send e-mail to pulseeditor@ajc.com or call 404-526-2078.