Thank You for Our Ribbons

There are always doctors that make a difference.  They are the ones who give the life changing diagnosis, the ones who understand and the ones who make everything seem a little clearer.  They are the doctors who realize that I have a life outside of the hospital. They understand the real reason I endure treatment after treatment, it is so I can live my life outside the hospital. These doctors have become more family than medical professional, the ones who know you TOO well, the one you can’t hide anything from.  This is a joint thank you to all of these individuals, the ones who always have our back.  

Thank you,

Thank you for being the doctor who tries to understand everything.  I know it can be difficult, I’m a one in a million (or more) case.  I know that doesn’t make it easy on you, because I know it sure isn’t easy to me.  You are the one who diagnosed me, the one who actually read the signs.  You are the one who listens to me and knows what treatments will make a difference, and what treatments will cause more harm than good.  Thank you for understanding the side effects and symptoms.  You are always a listening ear and a person that I can go to in a time of need.  While you think that you are just doing your job, I promise you are doing so much more than that. I have been through the medical system. I have been told “you look so normal” and “You are such an inspiration”. On the other end of the spectrum I have been told that I am a “once in a lifetime case” and “will have an uncertain future.” I know that I have an uncertain future but hearing that will not bring clarity. Hearing that will only bring depression. While I am a once in a career case it is important to remember that I am not a teachable moment. Beyond my diagnosis and your curiosity what I really am is a person.  

Thank you for treating me like a person.  Thank you for not allowing me to become a number.  Thank you for knowing who I am as a person.  You are the one who comes into the hospital room and starts talking about what movie is playing.  You are the one who asks first how is your life instead of how are you medically.  I am a person who wants to live a long meaningful, fun, exciting life. I have family and friends that love me. I have hopes and dreams just like everybody else. My diagnosis is not a barrier to my dream, it is a part of  them because it is a part of me. If i were to get rid of my limitations and what you think makes me a medical miracle i would be a different person.

Thank you for not being one of those doctors.  For not being the doctor who sees me as purely a patient and not a human being.  You understand that I have a life outside of your office and that my life is important.  You are not one of the doctors who want me to give up on living life.c You are the doctor who works around my likes and dislikes to get to a better understanding of who I am. Treatment is not just about curing the signs and symptoms of the disease, it is about making me as the patient excited to live life even with a condition.  Doctors need to understand that some diseases will NEVER get better, many even get worse.

So back to the doctor that listens to me again, I say thank you. You have looked at me as if I can be and do anything I want. You understand my limitations but you also understand that I have the strength to push past them. That's what I do, that what people with chronic illness do, there is no other choice. On the other side you are the person in my corner, that believes even when have given up hope. Doctors will always play a vital in my life, but they can and will never be my whole life.

Together we want to thank all of the doctors in our lives that have made a lasting impact.  We say thank you to our cardiologist (Nemo), neurologist (Tremors), and rheumatologist (Tremors).  Thank you for being someone that we can trust and count on.  Even though you may never see this letter, we want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you have done for us.  While you think that you are simply doing your job, in reality you are doing so much more, you are helping to change our lives for the better.  Thank you for our ribbons, we will wear them proudly.

WE BELIEVE IN YOU, LIKE YOU BELIEVED IN US!

-Nemo and Tremors