Praise for social workers
Gilly was lightheaded today and experienced periods of dizziness. His eyes were very poor and he was not able to do much at all. He had no appetite whatsoever, but thnkfully he managed to consume a decent amount of food regardless without my having to push; I had but to offer.
I suppose he’ll have days like this. It is certainly painful to watch him go through days like this, but luckily I’m able to take his hand and walk through the ordeal with him. I’m at the stage in the semester (the end!) where I can choose to work if / when the going is good, and I’m home for Gilly most always. Because we’re not running off to radiation daily, we are now settling into a very calm schedule (sometimes too relaxed, I admit). If only he could see…this would act as a springboard to all sorts of possibilities. We must remain optimistic that it is only a matter of time until his vision improves.
Yesterday I spoke to Brad from the CSSS to set up another home visit. He asked about the other visits from CSSS staff. I sang the praises of Cathy, the nurse, but spoke honestly of our disappointment with the physiotherapist. He shared that she was not present at the original team meeting. He intends to speak to the physiotherapist who was, and ask if another visit could be arranged. I thanked him for his persistence, but felt it necessary to come clean; we are pursuing physiotherapy possibilities through the social worker at the Jewish at this point. He encouraged me to continue investigating the options, and he will follow-up on his end as well.
Today, Naomi, the social worker from the Jewish called to introduce herself and apologized for not getting to me sooner. She was only made aware of our case yesterday, so I was rather impressed that she felt that one day’s wait constituted a delay. She asked several questions even though she seemed to have a very clear picture of what I am looking for and why. She spoke of a research project being conducted at the Jewish called CNR (cancer nutrition rehabilitation), and clarified that it is a wonderful program where physiotherapy is offered, but it is not geared for people with brain tumours. If Gilly has lost weight, he could be considered a candidate as an exception. I assured her that he has dropped quite a few pounds over the last few months. She promised to get back to me soon, and left me her contact numbers and hours for my reference.
Before she hung up I questioned why there was not a physiotherapy program set up for people with brain tumours, since it seems to be so crucial an aspect of recovery. She agreed that there should be, but reminded me that brain tumours make up one of many types of cancers. I sheepishly asked, “so did I just shoot my husband in the foot by having him switched from the Neuro where they deal with brain tumours only?” She suggested I call the Neuro and speak to a social worker there to find out exactly what physiotherapy services they have available. I put in a call and am still waiting for an answer. I’ll have to call back tomorrow.
She got back to me awhile later and said that se spoke to the head of the program and Gilly will be accepted as long as Dr. Kavan signs the permission form. I assured her that he is aware that Gilly needs physiotherapy (we spoke of this last Thursday), so there should be no problem with ‘permission.’ It sort of sounds like high school; needing a hall pass to use the bathroom. She explained that he has to sign as a formality, because Gilly must be considered a candidate for this sort of therapy. She gave the example of a doctor refusing because the patient has brittle bones.
She described the 2 physiotherapists on staff as ‘cracker jacks.’ It sounds like a dynamic team. Many are off at the moment (on vacation, I suppose) so we should be called in about 3 weeks time. I told her that I’m glad we got the ball rolling now, since we have to wait so long. If we had waited to meet the primary nurse on July 6th, we’d be that much more behind.
Naomi described me as a hunter and a gatherer. She praised my efforts to push for this service for Gilly. I thanked her for her kindness, but she refused to accept my gratitude. She said it needs to be done and if not for Gilly, then for someone else; people deserve the services. I rephrased my compliment by saying, “well you may not see it as kindness, but at least accept that you are a creative thinker. You made something happen for Gilly by being aware of available resources and because you are willing and able to look at the situation from a unique angle.” I explained that throughout our journey, we have met some very kind professionals (along with a couple who need work in the area of communication skills), but not all of them know how or choose to ‘think outside the box.’
She said we’d hear from her as soon as Dr. Kavan signs the permission and the paperwork is complete. I feel we have finally made some headway. It’s a step in the right direction; affirmative action.
I wanted to be sure I would not be perceived or discovered as overly pushy, so I reminded her that the social worker at the CSSS is also working on getting a physiotherapist to cover Gilly's case (I had mentioned our fiasco and my recent discussion with Brad earlier in our conversation). I offered her Brad's number. She assured me that if she thought I was guilty of doubling services, she would not be shy to say so. She encouraged me to pursue all avenues.
Both social workers have proven to be clever, genuinely empathetic and resourceful. It's comfroting to know that 2 such fabulous professionals are out there rooting for Gilly.
I suppose he’ll have days like this. It is certainly painful to watch him go through days like this, but luckily I’m able to take his hand and walk through the ordeal with him. I’m at the stage in the semester (the end!) where I can choose to work if / when the going is good, and I’m home for Gilly most always. Because we’re not running off to radiation daily, we are now settling into a very calm schedule (sometimes too relaxed, I admit). If only he could see…this would act as a springboard to all sorts of possibilities. We must remain optimistic that it is only a matter of time until his vision improves.
Yesterday I spoke to Brad from the CSSS to set up another home visit. He asked about the other visits from CSSS staff. I sang the praises of Cathy, the nurse, but spoke honestly of our disappointment with the physiotherapist. He shared that she was not present at the original team meeting. He intends to speak to the physiotherapist who was, and ask if another visit could be arranged. I thanked him for his persistence, but felt it necessary to come clean; we are pursuing physiotherapy possibilities through the social worker at the Jewish at this point. He encouraged me to continue investigating the options, and he will follow-up on his end as well.
Today, Naomi, the social worker from the Jewish called to introduce herself and apologized for not getting to me sooner. She was only made aware of our case yesterday, so I was rather impressed that she felt that one day’s wait constituted a delay. She asked several questions even though she seemed to have a very clear picture of what I am looking for and why. She spoke of a research project being conducted at the Jewish called CNR (cancer nutrition rehabilitation), and clarified that it is a wonderful program where physiotherapy is offered, but it is not geared for people with brain tumours. If Gilly has lost weight, he could be considered a candidate as an exception. I assured her that he has dropped quite a few pounds over the last few months. She promised to get back to me soon, and left me her contact numbers and hours for my reference.
Before she hung up I questioned why there was not a physiotherapy program set up for people with brain tumours, since it seems to be so crucial an aspect of recovery. She agreed that there should be, but reminded me that brain tumours make up one of many types of cancers. I sheepishly asked, “so did I just shoot my husband in the foot by having him switched from the Neuro where they deal with brain tumours only?” She suggested I call the Neuro and speak to a social worker there to find out exactly what physiotherapy services they have available. I put in a call and am still waiting for an answer. I’ll have to call back tomorrow.
She got back to me awhile later and said that se spoke to the head of the program and Gilly will be accepted as long as Dr. Kavan signs the permission form. I assured her that he is aware that Gilly needs physiotherapy (we spoke of this last Thursday), so there should be no problem with ‘permission.’ It sort of sounds like high school; needing a hall pass to use the bathroom. She explained that he has to sign as a formality, because Gilly must be considered a candidate for this sort of therapy. She gave the example of a doctor refusing because the patient has brittle bones.
She described the 2 physiotherapists on staff as ‘cracker jacks.’ It sounds like a dynamic team. Many are off at the moment (on vacation, I suppose) so we should be called in about 3 weeks time. I told her that I’m glad we got the ball rolling now, since we have to wait so long. If we had waited to meet the primary nurse on July 6th, we’d be that much more behind.
Naomi described me as a hunter and a gatherer. She praised my efforts to push for this service for Gilly. I thanked her for her kindness, but she refused to accept my gratitude. She said it needs to be done and if not for Gilly, then for someone else; people deserve the services. I rephrased my compliment by saying, “well you may not see it as kindness, but at least accept that you are a creative thinker. You made something happen for Gilly by being aware of available resources and because you are willing and able to look at the situation from a unique angle.” I explained that throughout our journey, we have met some very kind professionals (along with a couple who need work in the area of communication skills), but not all of them know how or choose to ‘think outside the box.’
She said we’d hear from her as soon as Dr. Kavan signs the permission and the paperwork is complete. I feel we have finally made some headway. It’s a step in the right direction; affirmative action.
I wanted to be sure I would not be perceived or discovered as overly pushy, so I reminded her that the social worker at the CSSS is also working on getting a physiotherapist to cover Gilly's case (I had mentioned our fiasco and my recent discussion with Brad earlier in our conversation). I offered her Brad's number. She assured me that if she thought I was guilty of doubling services, she would not be shy to say so. She encouraged me to pursue all avenues.
Both social workers have proven to be clever, genuinely empathetic and resourceful. It's comfroting to know that 2 such fabulous professionals are out there rooting for Gilly.
posted by Gilly at 8:00 PM
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