11/17/10 Thankful
Today I am thankful for the nurses and doctors I have seen in the last year who have gone above and beyond to help me. I am thankful for honest doctors who are straight with me. I am thankful for doctors who let me know in their own way that they will do what is in their power to help me. I am thankful for doctors who are not afraid to admit that my symptoms are beyond their expertise so they help find me someone who can fit my needs.
There are a few amazing doctors I feel I specifically need to mention.
Yesterday I saw Dr. Chemali, the neuromuscular doctor, at the Cleveland Clinic about my autonomic nervous system results. I was super nervous and did not know what to expect. Both Dr. Chemali’s nurse and Dr. Chemali treated me as one of their family members. They both spent so much time with me, and answered all of my questions. And I had a LOT of questions. The office closed at 5 and I was there until 6:30 with Dr. Chemali. He told me he would help me and walked both Brad and I out. He gave me a hug and said to just call him if I needed anything. I asked if he would talk to my other doctors, and he said he would talk to anyone. Then he said, “I will come to you.” I still don’t know if he was joking or serious. Dr. Chemali was the first doctor to provide me with my first answer since I started seeing specialists. I am thankful that Dr. Chemali treated me like a person, not a patient.
I am thankful for Dr. Rosen, my psychiatrist. I have been with him since I was 18, when gymnastics ended and I had a lot to sort through. He has been seeing me for 11 years and knows me better than most people. If I email him, he is back to me within an hour. If I need to see him, he always fits me in. He is so good at helping me gain perspective. When I leave his office I feel like I can take a deep breath again. I am lucky to call him my doctor and I’ve told him he’s not allowed to ever retire 🙂
Then there’s Larry (aka Dr. Nassar). If I said everything I was thankful for about him, this post would be 20 pages long. Larry is much more than a doctor. He is my friend. I have known Larry since I was about 5, when he was the athletic trainer at the gym. He has helped me (and my family) through so many injuries, health issues, surgeries, and life in general. I am thankful for the times in college he would take me to eat at Lou and Harry’s and then Baskin Robbins to just talk. I am thankful that he and his wife Stefanie gave me the opportunity to tutor Caroline and babysit his beautiful kids. I am thankful that when I had surgery in Cleveland on my elbow, he came with my family, and watched the surgery in the operating room.
This past year, Larry has been my life-line in helping me wade through all of the medical stuff. He has spent so much time researching and finding me the best doctors and therapists to send me too. He has spent hours on the phone talking to doctors to make sure I would be in the best hands. He has called and worked his magic to get me in to specialists fast. He has called or messaged me often to see how I was doing. I really owe the fact that I am finally getting to answers to Larry. I am not sure where I would be in this process without him. I love you Larry! There is not another doctor like you. You are the BEST!