Rebecca Goldman, RN, joined Touro Infirmary after Hurricane Katrina and shortly thereafter became a Patient Care Manager on the Oncology Unit. Several months later, Rebecca was diagnosed with cancer. This is her story.
Nursing is in my blood, especially oncology nursing. It is my passion. I have spent the last eight years working in the field of Oncology. It is not all depressing, as many think. It is extremely rewarding, as you get to know your patients and their families very well.
Hurricane Katrina brought me to Touro. I was a staff nurse on the Oncology unit, M5, for six months before being promoted to Nurse Manager. Life seemed to be going in the right direction. Until I found a swollen lymph node in my neck.
Without hesitation, I spoke with Dr. Caputto and we agreed it should be taken out. My years of family conferences with physicians could not prepare me for my own. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma on August 25, 2006.
It was quite strange having now assumed the role of being a patient. I endured eight treatments of chemotherapy and 15 radiation treatments. My latest scans and tests are negative for cancer.
After Katrina, I had no idea my nursing career would have included Touro. But I feel blessed that my nursing journey led me here. The nurses I have worked with for months were now caring for me. I could not have asked for more caring and knowledgeable nurses to care for me. The oncologist treated me with respect and compassion beyond words.
Life is different after cancer, and it is not always bad. As a nurse caring for cancer patients, I could only imagine how they felt and what they were going through. Now when I speak with patients on the unit, I have much more in common with them. As we talk, it is somehow therapy for both of us.
As I continue to do well, I am constantly reminded how each day is a gift and how my Touro family is a gift.
Rebecca Goldman, RN
Patient Care Manager, Oncology
Hodgkin's Survivor