Good things happen

The idea of a long needle being inserted through my back and into my pelvic bone was enough to keep me awake the night before. A bad experience with a local anesthetic and steroid injection several years ago made me anxious and skeptical about how painless the biopsy procedure would be. I was given a Valium tablet to help calm my anxiety prior to the procedure, “This will make you a little sleepy.” Nope! I was still quite alert as I was whisked through halls and doorways of the procedures unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital. The Valium didn’t work, but the warm, compassionate, and friendly care I received did. Everything was done to make me comfortable.

I thought I would just go to sleep during the CT guided procedure or at least lie there quietly without moving, but I evidently ended up talking about our off the grid lifestyle in northern British Columbia… I don’t even know how that happened. The doctor and technicians seemed to know quite a bit about me already, and kept asking me questions. When they learned that I wrote a blog, they asked what it was called and pulled it up on their computer screen. They looked at the photos of the cabin and wildlife. Somewhere in the haze of sedation and pain killer drugs, I remember Dr. Jensen saying that he would give me a CD with the computer images of all my diagnostic tests, including this CT guided biopsy… “You might want to post one on your blog.” And the nurse Joan was telling me about another nurse who had a place that we might be interested in… with a garden, wildlife, and a large park just across the street (Lake Padden Park). Again, I don’t know how this came up. Did I mention that we had no real place to live yet, or did she read my latest posting on this blog? It really doesn’t matter how these things came about… it just seemed like the sky opened up and showered me with all kinds of good people and things. I can’t remember the names of the others who were with me during my biopsy, but I do remember how they made me feel… like I was special, and that they truly cared about me as a person.

It took longer than expected and Bob was a little apprehensive while waiting for me to return to my cubicle. Consequently, he was amazed to hear the conversation and laughter as I was being wheeled back through the hallway. Joan gave Bob phone numbers, an address, and a map printout to the available cottage. Later Dr. Jensen brought us the promised CD and interpreted some of the images for us on a computer screen. (Unfortunately the CD would not work on our Mac computers, so you will be spared the image of my biopsy… for now.) Bob heard Dr. Jensen telling other staff about our writing and was urging them to check it out when they got home. It was all such an amazing experience. I would be lying if I said it was pain free. It was not. But what I had anticipated with dread has now become one of my best memories so far in this new chapter of my life, regardless of the outcome of the biopsy (Friday afternoon at the earliest).

... PLM