Day 7: Red berries

Yesterday I received a treat from the boys as a home-coming gift  - a new pair of red earrings! I have only one other red pair so these make a very welcome addition. They are small balls of red stone, smooth like marble, with a black fleck. My sister Linda said they reminded her of the small berries on the trees which are so common in Armidale, and she's absolutely right.

I'm wearing them today at Angus' request. He returned to school today, into Year 5, which is hard to believe. It was wonderful to have him skip off so happily this morning to see his friends and find out about his new teachers and class mates. His school also has a new principal, which always make life interesting!

Today I'm expressing gratitude for my remarkable GP, Dr Kath, who I visited this morning to have some stitches removed and to discuss my treatment.  Kath is the model doctor: incredibly knowledgeable and on top of the latest medical developments, a great listener, careful and kind. Fortunately for her patients, Kath is also tenacious, exploring every aspect of any medical quandary to its conclusion and diligent, following up with results as soon as they are available . 

I started visiting Kath's surgery about 16 years ago. Over that time Kath has taken care of my babies, my husband and especially me through every ailment, big and small. When Mum and Dad moved to Sydney they became Kath's patients too. Kath paid Mum great attention and respect throughout her illness and our family felt very blessed to have her as part of Mum's care team. Dad continues to travel all the way from Armidale for his regular check ups. A few years ago when my dear friend Helen Nelson was terminally ill and living close to the surgery, Kath took care of her too, including with home visits which I know brought great comfort to Helen and her wonderful daughter Catherine.

Recently Kath had a tough job to do. My surgery was undertaken close Christmas and the surgeon left for a month-long holiday before giving me the pathology results. Although he'd said he'd call or email from his holiday destination when the results were ready, three weeks on I'd heard nothing. As anyone who has been through a similar situation understands, not knowing the results is the most excruciating aspect of the ordeal. I think we're hard wired not to deal with such uncertainty. One afternoon, I called Kath to tell her I couldn't stand the wait any longer, and she jumped right on the case. She summoned the results immediately (they had in fact been ready well before my surgeon left -- insert relevant expletives here!) and kindly arranged to call me back with the results in the evening when she knew Rob would be with me. As it turned out, the results were worse than we'd expected, but Kath's ability to deliver the news with such a fine balance of professionalism and sympathy made everything bearable. I remember getting off the phone and actually feeling a sense of jubilation - knowing what we were dealing with meant I could get on with treatment. And of course, in true Kath style, within a day I was hooked up with some of the best cancer specialists in Sydney and developing a plan of attack. I will always be grateful Kath's care. I know she's one in a million.

My experience with Kath stands in direct contrast to the arrogance I've experienced with some (but not all, mostly male) medical specialists I've come across with this and past health issues...Of course, I can't help thinking there is a gender dimension to it all.  Having just finished an ethnographic study into gender diversity in the construction industry with the wonderful Natalie Galea, I'm becoming fascinated with this bastion of male power, the medical profession, and with surgeons in particular. Recent press reports suggests there's definitely something up - with patients of women doctor's living longer than men and women surgeons experiencing excessive bias and bullying. I can feel a post-treatment research project coming on...

Day 7 is an incredibly hot day and I WANT THE HEAT TO STOP! My scalp is soooo itchy - I don't think my buzz cut is going to last terribly long - and my toe nails feel hot. The chemo is busily blasting away. I've managed a good walk around Sydney park this morning and had another lovely visit from Lindy, aglow after what sounds like an amazing Bowie concert. A week down...