My father-in-law had his biopsy canceled the day just before his scheduled biopsy because the radiologist advised another procedure. I explained the situation to Rachel, a nurse who helped with scheduling the OR. He’d already had the less invasive procedure, and we were keen to find out about the cancer diagnosis that had been first imaged about 4 months ago. The first biopsy had only been partially successful, and no cancer diagnosis could be established. Pet scan had already revealed stage one. He had already had much delay as we tried to negotiate the myriad cardiac, lung, and imaging specialists he needed to obtain a safe diagnosis of the masses in his lung.

That day, I was in the process of canceling two less important but pertinent follow-ups for the day of this procedure and for the day after. I didn’t tell her I was already playing phone tag with his other specialists and that it would take me 4 hours round trip to get him to this procedure that next day. She immediately understood the complex nature of his previous procedures. She took it upon herself to coordinate information to all parties while making them aware of time constraints. She spent all day coordinating with the doctors, specialists, and myself to make sure the correct biopsy would be performed the next day as scheduled. She promised to call me at a specific time and kept her word. I knew she took personal responsibility for making sure we would be notified in time for travel because the team there called me after her shift ended to confirm that we had received word of the doctor’s decision to schedule the biopsy. (She had already told me before she left work for her end of shift). She had made sure they knew when she would leave and that someone would be there to notify us of any changes.

Upon our arrival the next day, she introduced us to her colleagues in pre-op as a sincere and extra personal touch. After a considerable wait, she personally wheeled him into surgery. She made my father-in-law feel instantly at ease. She was always warm, caring, and helpful. She’d already gone above and beyond in my book. She’s a patient, smart, and dedicated soul. I was very happy to talk to someone who grasped the overall nuances of his situation quickly and took charge of his care. You are lucky to have her.