On retirement of a dear friend

Dear Bette:

I'm so happy you're retiring. I know you are, too, even though you say it's bittersweet. Much of life often is, to remind us to be thankful. You've been through a lot the last few years, but you always smiled, even though, being sick often sucks. You were a trouper. It was my pleasure to work with you.

I'll miss you coming up to get coffee in the mornings and discussing all the interesting patients we'd see at the Hotel. You have the uncanny ability for people to trust you and tell you EVERYTHING, even things we didn't really want to know.

You made us realize that our folks are multidimensional people, and to only look at them from one side, was doing them a terrible disservice. Thank you. I know my practice changed from the time I spent working with you.

I will never forget your pioneering spirit, embracing new projects and treatment methods, and I'm sure the rest of the Hotel won't, either. (I promise I won't give your phone number out when some of those providers ask what you really think of those treatment methods, since you are an expert).

You hopefully, will be healthy and stress-free very soon, too, as you leave the hallowed Hotel halls soon for retirement.

I will miss you terribly, but I will never forget you. You are braver than any other person I know, and have given so much to me, our staff, and our patients with your presence.

Godspeed on the rest of your journey.

With warmest regards,

RehabRN

Nurse as patient? Not!

Sometimes, I really don't like being the patient.

But now, (or earlier today) I was. I had to go see my favorite specialist. Dr. RG has known me since I was this (motion hand to waist) high. He's an international expert on all sorts of weird things in his spare time (usually the not so nice things you might find in a house figure into his work) He became my primary specialist once I aged out of the Children's Medical Center next door to PrivateU. All during college, work, PrivateU again, he'd seen me, at least once or twice a year.

I even sent my husband to him, once he was on my insurance and lo and behold, I find out that Dr. RG has known my husband's family for years because of a relative. We had much joking after that, but from that moment years ago, Dr. RG (who's always attentive) became even more attentive.

When Dr. RG's wife died a few years ago, he surprised me. One, he gave me a hug, because he said he realized that some of his patients (who had been seeing him forever like me) needed one and life was too short. Two, he was, and has always been the doctor to whom I could ask all those weird questions about research and other stuff. He is a font of knowledge. I knew when he gave me advice recently, it was the advice my relative would have given me if he were here. He wasn't, but Dr. RG was.

So now, after the usual checkup, I got a referral to two specialists. One was a second opinion (no bother to me) and another to a neurologist. Dr. RG thinks my problems could be something else, and I need to get them investigated.

Dr. RG told me something else. He's finally retiring. Not to worry, he said, there are plenty of good specialists at PrivateU to take his place. His replacement is nice, but I've decided to see Bubba's specialist. After all, I know he's been trained by the best, because I saw him when he interned with Dr. RG a few years ago.

Dr. RG is going to fulfill his life's ambition and work in a health clinic affiliated with PrivateU part time. He's thrilled and while I'm sad he won't be my doctor, I'm happy he'll still be around taking care of people who need him.

Stay tuned...