Creating a Glossary of Medical Terms, and a good look "into" ME!

Friday, May 4th/12

This afternoon I went to my doctor's office and picked up my medical records.   Wow, such interesting reading and quite a look "into" myself!...like never before.   I thought it most intriguing to read where it is noted that there are surgical staples in my groin.   Ah, the memories, 15 years old and having had my appendix removed...the surgeon at Peterborough Civic Hospital I believe was Dr. Martin(?).   Initially we thought I had some sort of flu, until the pain grew to a point of crawling to the stairs to call for my Dad-sleeping following an afternoon shift at GM.
That seems like a lifetime ago and perhaps one day so will all of these most recent medical events in my life!    I really can no longer actually definitely pin point the scar, but a CT Scan can!

In reading these records and of course not understanding various terms etc., have begun a comprehensive Glossary of Medical terms, which once again takes me back to many years ago.   My final placement for my E.C.E was with the Pediatrics ward at Peterborough Civic, working alongside the Child Life Staff; then referred to as the Play Therapist.   I had first met Lois Drury when I was a patient there for Appendicitis only 4 years prior to the time of my final school placement.   I loved that placement.   I kept a Log Book of all new medical terms I came face to face with in meeting each of our young patients and helping them in understanding what lay ahead in their medical journey.

Upon learning of my own medical journey a friend encouraged me to embrace the science of all that lie ahead in having something to focus on and not allowing fear to be the prominent factor in it all.
She also encouraged me to obtain a copy of my own records, another step in empowering ones self and having a greater understanding of all that is happening.   Creating the glossary helps in becoming familiar with the terms one hears again and again in reading the records, as well I couldn't help but recognize some of the terms in having watched M*A*S*H all these years; and while we still do.

This is feeling very much a positive in this whole new experience, and especially in helping to get through the emotional end of what everything means and how it has affected myself and those around me and how I can better deal with it even as it slowly becomes a part of my past history.

xo