So I’m in the back area in a patient gown now. It’s amazing how similar the set up of the ER here at Ottawa General is to the ER at Cedars-Sinai. It’s amazingly similar.

My nurse said she’s worked here for 20 years, and just recently they remolded the ER to be more similar to ERs in the United States. It’s working. For a moment I almost felt like I was back at home.

After our initial get to know you chat, the nurse tried to draw my blood, then had to get someone else, who was only able to get a tube or two, so now I’m waiting for someone else to come and try again.

(I’m used to this drill though.)

What was interesting, is that it was a medical student who came in to see me first. I haven’t even seen a doctor yet, but I really liked the student. She was open and honest and sincere. I could tell she was genuinely trying to work through what is going on with me right now. She wants to try her best to help me.

I like medical students. They’re still hopeful, they still care. They still believe in the power of medicine to do a lot of good in the world. All doctors should be required to teach classes. This kind of attitude is infectious, it’s beautiful.

I’m not really sure what’s going to happen next…I’m getting the impression what I do normally at home in Los Angeles with home health, is considered a ‘big deal’ here in Ottawa–the kind of medical care normally reserved for inside hospitals.

I liked this medical student so much, I ended up telling her the truth that I haven’t been as diligent as I should have been over the last few weeks about my Ig treatment…normally I keep such little patient no-nos to myself, but I felt like I should tell her. She was being honest and genuine, I should be too 🙂