Anna Green
May 2017
Anna
Green
,
RN
Rheumatology, St. Lawrence Health System Medical Campus
Canton-Potsdam Hospital
Potsdam
,
NY
United States
I've always been a sick kid and as I grew into an adult I was diagnosed with SLE, I was only 24, and I was a wreck. I battled depression and anxiety day in and day out but nothing compared to what I was going to go through to attempt to get my life back on track. The handful of pills I took on a daily basis didn't bother me as much, but they didn't make me feel any better or control my lupus.
That's when Benlysta was introduced to me and the thought of having to have monthly infusions for who knows how long and living with a compromised immune system terrified me. Anna was there from the beginning of it all. I called countless time with every single little yet slightly irrational question you could think of. She was always there with a soothing voice, words of wisdom, a huge heart, and phenomenal knowledge to calm me from the fits of tears, anger, rage, and even my feelings of hopelessness. At the time I wrote this letter I had only 5 infusions, now it's been over a year and I'm so thankful to have Anna by my side through it all. She's stayed late at work with me to finish infusions to better suit my timing issues with work. I still have a long way to go but I am feeling better.
One time I had been battling some abnormally fast heart rate when I arrived for an infusion, it was 130bpm! I could tell she was extremely concerned, a bit scared, but remained calm and was able to get me in to see my primary doctor within that same hour. She took really good care of me that particular day and even checked in on me later on.
I've also had episodes of extreme depression and was thinking of seriously harming myself. Something told me to call her and just say "help" and she somehow got me to calm down and to start thinking clearly again.
I'm here to say Anna Green is my hero; she is an amazing woman and keeps me going every day with her genuine humor, dedication, compassion, and love for what she does. I'm always guaranteed to sit down for my infusion and she'll put a smile right back on my face and have me laughing in no time. It's such an amazing feeling to know I have a friend I can always count on.
Thank you Anna!
That's when Benlysta was introduced to me and the thought of having to have monthly infusions for who knows how long and living with a compromised immune system terrified me. Anna was there from the beginning of it all. I called countless time with every single little yet slightly irrational question you could think of. She was always there with a soothing voice, words of wisdom, a huge heart, and phenomenal knowledge to calm me from the fits of tears, anger, rage, and even my feelings of hopelessness. At the time I wrote this letter I had only 5 infusions, now it's been over a year and I'm so thankful to have Anna by my side through it all. She's stayed late at work with me to finish infusions to better suit my timing issues with work. I still have a long way to go but I am feeling better.
One time I had been battling some abnormally fast heart rate when I arrived for an infusion, it was 130bpm! I could tell she was extremely concerned, a bit scared, but remained calm and was able to get me in to see my primary doctor within that same hour. She took really good care of me that particular day and even checked in on me later on.
I've also had episodes of extreme depression and was thinking of seriously harming myself. Something told me to call her and just say "help" and she somehow got me to calm down and to start thinking clearly again.
I'm here to say Anna Green is my hero; she is an amazing woman and keeps me going every day with her genuine humor, dedication, compassion, and love for what she does. I'm always guaranteed to sit down for my infusion and she'll put a smile right back on my face and have me laughing in no time. It's such an amazing feeling to know I have a friend I can always count on.
Thank you Anna!