Location, Location, Location

Some of you may remember this trip when I met a couple and reassured them about their son who would be coming to Houston for evaluation of a tumor about which I happened to know quite a bit. I was able to provide information about The Big Medical Center, The Very Big Cancer Hospital, and even The Big Department (where I worked) they would be visiting. I let them know that he would be in capable hands then we all went on our way and I enjoyed the rest of an extremely memorable vacation.

I was in the right place at the right time.

Yesterday I met Mr. and Mrs. Idaho. I was at a local Farmers' Market and they sat down next to me on a curb to take a breather and watch people - same as me. He was wearing a John Deere hat. My homesickness swelled. They asked me if I lived close. I told them I did and then I asked about them.

They are in the area so Mrs. Idaho can be treated for a cancer, specifically with radiation therapy - something I know a little about. Mrs. Idaho is a patient at the Very Big Cancer Hospital that used to be my Employer. I left there when the physical stress of operating hour-upon-hour each day got to be more than I wanted to handle. I now work for a different Very Big Hospital, a direct competitor.

So here's the deal.

I was able to give Mr. and Mrs. Idaho a little bit of reassurance that they were (indeed) in the right place getting the right treatment. I let them know that I was proud to work at the Very Big Cancer Hospital when I was there, that it employed some of the best doctors in the world. I lessened some of their hesitation about the doctors that were from places that weren't Idaho, Kansas, or Texas or anywhere else in the United States. I told them that I've worked with residents and fellows from all over the world and I'm comfortable with these brilliant minds who leave their families for a little while (or longer) to work at the Very Big Cancer Hospital.

I also told Mr. and Mrs. Idaho about some of the other things they can do in Houston area for free - besides the Farmers' Market in my neighborhood. I told them about The Menil and about free Thursdays at the Museum of Fine Arts.

I hope Mr. and Mrs. Idaho went to sleep in their hotel last night knowing that this Kansas transplant cares about them. I think they did. I hope tomorrow is just a little easier for them, with a little less stress and worry over things over which they have so little control.

Today I pulled my bright pink Physician Assistant T-shirt out of the closet and wore it to get coffee, then to a movie, and to dinner. I used to tell myself I didn't want to talk about medicine when I wasn't at work so I didn't want to "advertise" my profession. I'm starting to realize it's not about the medicine at all and I really need to stop worrying over things over which I have so little control. If I'm supposed to talk to someone, I'll know it.

Reset, Review

Yesterday I stuck a foreign body in my eye and raked it across my cornea. Just like that. I knew the moment I did it that it could be trouble. It was one of those moments like watching a glass fall from your hands or running through a stop sign in full view of a police car. I couldn't take it back. I was in a hurry and applying eyeliner. I swooshed the pencil across the place where my lid should be except my lid wasn't closed - it was open.

Crap.

I blinked, blinked, and blinked some more. I pulled out a magnifying mirror and attempted to see what I knew I'd never see without stain and someone else's eyes. I went on with my day. I more or less forgot about it except for a little mild irritation and a couple sneezes in the afternoon. Then I got in my car to drive into Houston for an art opening. It was dark and I was facing oncoming headlights and I had a telltale halo effect.

Well, this wasn't good.

I stayed out a couple hours and headed home.

When my eyes aren't feeling good I experience fatigue. I arrived home around 9:30, feeling like I'd read about a hundred pages of a difficult book but still without any scleral signs: no redness or discharge. My goal was to get to bed as soon as possible. My phone rang and I reluctantly answered. I'd been expecting this phone call.

Could I see clear to ignore the last few days of noncommunication? A difficult situation had come up and he didn't really know how to handle it but it had nothing to do with me. Maybe we could just pick up where he had dropped us off?

Suddenly I saw the red (flags).

My fatigue became overwhelming enough to prompt me to end the phone call and the day. Wishing him a healthy, happy life I bade him goodnight and goodbye.

My pillow felt cool and welcoming as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

This morning I awoke to the relief of the realization that I'm still young enough to heal pretty darned fast. My eye is fine and my sight seems to be normal.

Here's looking at you.