Michele,
I think the oncology nurse job is a VERY good way of giving back. I think of MY oncology nurse and how wonderful she is. My Herceptin partner (she is stage 4 and gets it weekly w/ Xeloda, I am Stage 1 and get it every 3 weeks, but have the same oncologist and nurse) and I were joking how she is so "motherly". Every twinge we have she flips out if we don't tell her and I'm sure you will be even MORE so since you have been on the patient side. This is also why I love my oncologist. I had HEARD he had cancer and my nurse was telling me that about 9 yrs ago he had prostate cancer (discovered it when his urine flow had diminished). She said he wanted the doctor to do a biopsy, but they wouldn't, kept arguing that given his family history (his mother has lung cancer and I guess many others of his family had cancer to...probably why he became an oncologist) he wanted a biopsy. Finally got a doctor who would do it and when they removed the prostate, it was totally filled w/ cancer, I guess if he wouldn't have been so persistant, it would have metastisized. He has been JUST as aggressive w/ me (he is now the director of the entire cancer health dept for the largest health provider on the western side of Michigan and I can see why). I'm sure you as he will be even MORE empathetic to patients given your history. My nurse told us once that while her job is hard (losing patients) she gets something from each person and you will too.
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