Compassionate Care

Yesterday was another lovely day. There was lots of sunshine, and more importantly, it wasn’t nearly as hot as Wednesday. And bonus: I got mail! I got my long-awaited throw to cover the sofa and its cat scars, a survey to complete from St. Paul’s hospital, and boring mail (property tax notice and a letter from Lifeline increasing the monthly cost of my personal alarm).

The day got off to a slow start because I had a spa in the morning. After the rain, the forest fragrances and the birdsong were overwhelming. I was in heaven being in hot water and with my senses in full-reception mode. Once dressed, Her Highness and I went shopping. Hallelujah, Wishbone, a lovely gift and foodie place, had the kind of puff pastry I wanted. I was stoked.

We came home for lunch, then I did laundry and after that, I got started on the cake I’m making for dinner tonight at Ali and Pete’s.  Just as the puff pastry sheets were coming out of the oven, the phone rang. It was a 450 area code, so I thought it was a call I didn’t want. I made a bad decision. When I checked my messages, it was from ‘Julie.’ She was calling from the Patient Support Program called Connect 360, to enroll me at the behest of Dr. Dorscheid.

I called her and left a message. I asked for video chatting if possible and gave her my email. I’m going to stay home all day so that I don’t miss her call, if she calls on the landline.

I Googled Connect 360. This is their statement of purpose: The AstraZeneca Patient Support Programs help patients navigate the complexities of reimbursement and provide support during the journey of their treatment. They run four Compassionate Care programs, I see mine. Mine is for Severe Eosinophilic Asthma (SEA). AstraZeneca makes two drugs for SEA.

I remember vividly getting the asthma diagnosis. Dr. Dorscheid told me. Right after telling me, he told me that there were four kinds of asthma. Then he asked me, “Do you want to know which one you have?” And I said “No.” Yesterday I found out which one I have. I did more reading and discovered that many people need more or different medication as the disease progresses.

And speaking of the disease, I learned that: “SEA gets its name from eosinophils. Eosinophils are immune cells that normally help fight infections. In eosinophilic asthma, their numbers are elevated in the airways, leading to inflammation, which can cause airway narrowing and other symptoms.” 

At 4:30, Dr. Dorscheid’s office called to tell me that Nanaimo General will be contacting me for breathing tests. I have an appointment with Dr. Dorscheid in July 23 to discuss the results. 

I keep thinking about my family. I feel no emotion at all about all I learned today, all but thinking about is how this disease might impact my pets makes me cry.

The Connect 360 program feels holistic. It seems to treat the whole person; it is not all about disease and pharmacology. They provide counseling services as well as medical services. By counseling they mean a broad range of services. On one, I read that I should change my pillows every six months, and that I should wash my duvet every six months.

There’s a lot of focus on informing partners, bosses, close friends, children, etc. They even provide ‘opening lines’ to initiate discussions.

I got a very strong ‘clock is ticking’ message yesterday. It started when I read, ‘compassionate care.’ Then came a flood of “on your journey” phrases scattered through the text. I dodged the bullet with AIDS. That ain’t gunna happen this time. This is the beginning of a story.