| Hematology-Oncology staff |
| Diane Dornbusch, RN, MS,PNP |
| You'll notice that Diane is the only person in the medical section with her "letters" attached to her name. That's because I want to do our Diane full justice for her education and experience. Diane is Avalon's nurse practitioner, and is her primary care person. Diane is the rarest of the rare. She's an angel whose wings are so large and radiant - they nearly knock you over when she enters a room. Diane is strength, courage, warmth, and support, all rolled into one package. With her calm, quiet demeanor, Diane assures you just by how she speaks to you and your child. She is an ocean of information, that washes over you as you struggle to comprehend the journey your child is on. Diane never waivers in her honesty. She presents all possibilities, potentials, and probabilities with clarity and a serenity that infuses the harsh realities with an element of survivability. By virtue of her abject honesty, you can embrace her words of encouragement. If Diane says it, you are free to wrap your heart around it. Diane hides nothing, and offers no falsehoods. She is a sanctuary in the storm of cancer. She offers families a singular resource for all things good and bad. I have been fortunate enough in this life, to meet a few people who are doing the exact work the universe meant for them to do. Sure, there are people who love their jobs, but still, those aren't always the people doing the work their lives were meant for. Diane has the distinct honor of doing what she was singularly created to do. She belongs exactly where she is, and the people around her recognize it, and admire her for it. She is the perfect blend of intelligence, kindness, integrity, and diligence. She bridges the gap between the medical chaos and the patients in a way I cannot hope to properly explain. She has a steel trap mind that holds every minute detail about each of her patients, and an enormous heart that holds the hopes and dreams of the families she's entrusted with. We love to tease Diane about how over-appreciated, and yet, under-paid she is. If I had a dollar for each time one of our doctors deferred a medical judgement to her...I'd singularly be able to make her a wealthy woman. Doctors, nurses, PCA's and staff...they all hold her in as high esteem as we do. I've never met someone so overwhelmingly respected. Diane is truly in a class by herself. We respect her, and moreover, love her with all of our hearts. For our family, Diane is more than an answer to a prayer, she's an answer to prayers we didn't know to ask... |
| Yes, I know...we need Diane pictures! We'll work on that at our next clinic appointment. |
| Want to read? |
| Smoochy! |
| Hello Mandy! Mandy is a Heme-Onc floor nurse. Mandy was new to the floor during Avalon's diagnosis stay. She and Gretchen are the two nurses that I wrote about in my Diagnosis letter. Mandy holds a very special place in our hearts... Whenever I try to describe the hearts of these amazing people, I see Mandy - her eyes filling with tears when Avalon waved good bye to them that one awful day. She felt Avalon's pain, and in doing so, changed our lives, and our perceptions of humanity. Don't these grins say it all? Mandy is sweet, kind-hearted and a glimpse of sunshine. She says she never aimed toward the Heme-Onc floor, but now that she's found it, she can't imagine being any where else. She's one of the souls that the children have captured. Some nurses are here because of family or personal history. Mandy came here by happenstance, but stayed because of love. |
| Avalon is a huge Mandy fan. She loves to look for her as we wander the halls, and never fails to get enormous hugs and smooches from her. Mandy offers her charges the wonderful combination of medical diligence coupled with a warm, friendly demeanor. Her smile is infectious - she seems like an old friend the second she walks in your room. She's a smile in a package for the Heme-Onc families, and we love her! |
| Introducing...Elizabeth! Or, better known in our family, as Liz-bet. I think this is my favorite Heme-Onc nurse picture. It tells the story of the floor. Elizabeth had come to visit Avalon and I had begged her to pose for a picture. Avalon was being rather ornery, and refused to get up to smile properly. That didn't slow Elizabeth down one whit. She said, "Ok then, move over!" She hopped into bed with Avalon and grinned like crazy! Where else will you find nurses like this? Elizabeth touched my heart one day when Avalon was really being difficult. We'd had Elizabeth as a nurse for a few days when Avalon was in for a fever. Avalon was on the mend, and should have been heading home, but we were having trouble convincing her to eat. On this particular day, Avalon was being awful. She was irritable and not at all like her normal cheery disposition. As |
| Elizabeth and I were doing something with her and she was screaming...Elizabeth said, "This isn't like her at all! She's normally so easy and sweet. Something is up. She's just not like this." While I agreed as Mom, the fact is, Elizabeth had only known Avalon for a few days at this point. She had really paid attention to Avalon in that short time, and taken her to heart. I know the words seem simple. But the act of knowing my child enough to recognize that she was acting strange, was enormously important to me. She never knew that I cried when she left - I felt so blessed to have someone care that much. (Side note: Elizabeth and I were right, there was something wrong. Avalon was back in the hospital 3 days later with full blown C-diff.) Elizabeth gives her whole heart to her kids, and it often carries a large price on her soul. They are all lucky to get to know her. I know I am. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Our Angels:
Avalon's Army of Angels