Holly's Notes and Condition

Oct 14th - 6 Month Re-Check with Radiation Oncologist - All Good

Oct 14th - I had my 6 month follow-up appt with my radiation oncologist, Dr William Chou at St Joseph's Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo.

The new patient tower is open now. (I watched them break ground on that building 3 years ago, when I was just starting my treatments.)

The office was busy for a Wednesday afternoon. I commented on that, and was quietly told that they had been very busy lately, seeing more patients for radiation of the head and neck areas and patients of diverse ages and backgrounds. That's not good.(?)

Brian saw me first and then Hanna and Ana and Diane, and there was laughing and smiles and hugs all around. I dazzled them with my 'long' blond hair, which touches the top of my shoulders now.

There were several other people in the waiting room and while I knew they were there, knew they were watching this joyous reunion with anxious and fearful eyes, I realized that I was actually glad to be coming to this appt: another benchmark in my healing, accomplished.

Dr Chou was genuinely glad to see me and I was glad to see him.
I shared my joy of being a new Grandma and shared pictures of my family with him and his staff: Brian, Hanna, Anna and Diane, who in turn shared their family photos and stories.

My skin looks good. The lymphedema is manageable and for the most part very minimal.
My recent mammo/ultrasound results look good. He'll see me again in 6 months.

Then I asked a question, I can't explain why, but I said,"Dr Chou, I know you attended Sloan-Kettering, but where did you grow up?"
His reply was,"Locally. Do you know where the Covina/West Covina area is located?"

Serendipity strikes, once again.

His parents and grandmother still live in the home he grew up in, off Arrow Hwy and Grand Avenue in the Covina/ Glendora area. They still love the neighborhood and so does he, as he goes to visit them often.

He laughed, when he saw me smiling, and I smiled and said,"its a small world, that's where I grew up, too!"

The circumstances under which we met could have been better: I would have enjoyed meeting him without having to be treated for cancer, for instance.

As it is, I am one of his first patients, a 'thriving survivor' now, and I get to give him my perspective, as his patient, at the start of his professional career: to touch each others lives in that way, I think is quite special and memorable.

I like his openness. I like his ability to observe everything without being cold or clinical. I feel that his youth, (I'd guess his age to be about 30 yrs old), is an asset, not a disadvantage: radiation oncology is a relatively new field, very technology intensive and I think his youth works well for him. I appreciate how he applies his intelligence to my care: he is a very good physician and I trust him.

I'm very glad we met.

Funny, that serendipity. I'm smiling.

I do admit, that I'm so good with only having to see Dr Chou for re-check appts.


PS - Hanna says that Lego Land in Carlsbad, while a bit on the expensive side, is very worthwhile to take little guys to visit, especially if they like water. Her little son, 'Raymond' just went there and from the pictures she shared with me, looks like he had a really fun time.
Brian's (2) sons: 'Nickolas', who is 4 years old now, and 'Logan', who was born just after I finished my radiation treatments 2 years ago, are getting so big, with their big smiles and blond hair like their dad. It won't be long before Brian can start teaching them how to play Lacrosse, which is his passion, when he's not working as an radiation oncology tech, extraordinaire.
I asked Hanna to also say hi to David and Robert, my other radiation techs and to say hi to Carla, who has since retired, but comes in to say hi every so often.
I will always be grateful to Carla for her sensitivity and for the music she played during my treatments: it helped to calm me and made my treatments more bearable, as having radiation is a very isolating and lonely feeling - just you and the machine, with everyone else safe behind lead lined walls and closed doors, talking to you through the intercom telling you to "hold still, hold your breath and here we go!"
Only its not a 'we' go, its an 'I' go, kind of moment.
So, I'm grateful for such a caring and expert staff and physician.

posted by Holly @ 10:00 AM