I think it was Friday 20th June that i had my OH meeting. The lady i had been seeing to date was on holiday and so i met a new guy this time. I looked him up on the internal directory - so id know what he looked like to help find him - and he looked like a big old grumpy guy!
Looks can be decieving! He turned out to be probably the nicest person ive had to deal with during the whole experience - he was well informed, sympathetic, warm, fully understanding and seemed to know what to say and when. There were things that i was thinking that i did not talk about but that he seemed to know i was thinking - a bit freaky!
He said how this meeting was meant to be just a final check - how the plan was that i would come along and say that everything was fine with returning to full time and that we could all move on. I said how generally things were fine, how being on the support rota was testing but id passed that one, and how this week had been very busy. I light heartedly asked if he'd seen me on a Friday on purpose as it had been a long week and i was worse for wear on Friday. He then switched in to a more serious mode and asked about if i had been finding i get more tired.
We then had a good chat about energy levels and chemotherapy - he said that i should not feel upset or frustrated at my energy levels not being back to full - he suggested that it would be a full year before that happened and that i should not think 'will things ever get back to how they were?' energy wise, because they would. He said how until then i should be careful and just appreciate that things may take more of a toll than before.
He said not to do anything silly, and suggested not taking part in the next London Marathon - i said that I WAS taking part in a charity walk next weekend but it was just a half marathon walk, and he felt that was fine.
The most impressive part for me was his comments about the follow up appointments. He asked about that - and i said that i was scheduled to have follow up for 5 years - and immediately, probably picking up on my feelings regarding that, he said:
"And that should re-assure you and not worry you in anyway.."
Great comment. Id heard it before but he then went in to an explanation about that. He really knew what he was talking about too - his advice was not general, but specific to lymphoma and my case too, impressive! He explained how in my case doctors are confident of the lymphoma being 'cured' and said how it may seem strange using the word 'cure' but he was going to use it in this case [which is an accurate description] but said that its rare that someone will be 'cured' and doctors say that they dont need to see him ever again for checks ups.
Its things that others have said, its something that logically makes sense, but the follow up for that long has always seem like a burden, or a chain round my neck that id not be able to fully shake off for years - but after his explanation i did feel a lot better.
At the end he said that he would like to close my case from an OH point of view - he said this with some pride almost and happiness and said that i must be feeling very happy. At this point i said how things had not really sunk in - how during the whole experience i've just done what i was told to do next and not reflected on it all really.
Right away he picked up on this and moved in to 'serious' mode and said that often its months afterwards that the whole thing sinks in - and makes you think 'wow, now that was actually quite scary' - or something like that - and he said that if thats the way im finding things to not be afraid to seek counselling. Even then he didnt call it 'counselling' - he called it 'cognotive help' which again, made it sound a lot nicer!
Upon me leaving he said how its funny, but that his parting sentiments would be that he hopes not to see me again - we joked about that and said how it must come with the territory working in OH.
A really nice experience, i've been very fortunate having such a supportive employer and its certainly increased my feelings of some sort of loyalty to them.
So, hopefully the final OH meeting - another mini-milestone!
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