Deep bow of gratitude to you and your willingness to be open and honest about your life. Please be where you need to be, with your son. Sending healing thoughts and prayers to Oliver and to your whole family.
I’m a very new subscriber, and yet, this post tells me everything I need to know to stay. I hope that you, and Oliver, and your family, have a smoother road ahead. We’ll be here waiting.
Wow, such a difficult and scary time for you all. You must be exhausted. Don’t worry about your readers, we will all still be here. Go take care of yourself and family. Oliver couldn’t have a better mom and advocate. You and your family will be in my thoughts.
Hey Jen, I lost my husband around this time last year. As a nurse I understood everything that was going on, constantly monitored his IV's, I/O, the whole shebang. "What happened to those who didn’t have the medical knowledge or connections I had? " Knowledge is a blessing and a curse. My heart is with you and your son.
I lost my husband 15 years ago and know what we endured during his 4 years with cancer. Six surgeries, rehab, chemo and radiation. I do not have the medical background nor did he so we had to place our trust and faith in strangers. I still feel the word "hope" represents one of the worst 4 letter words.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Jen. Your strength and knowledge must have been a great comfort to your husband. My thoughts are with you and your son during this difficult time.
Thank you for all the information you have given to us, your fellow humans that you will never meet, that helped us help ourselves or our loved ones.
Please know that we are all now paying it back to you through prayers, thoughts, good vibes, or whatever mechanisms we utilize in these moments of wanting to help from afar.
As the parent of a medically complex son, my heart is with you, Oliver, Victor, your family, and medical team. I understand your thoughts on “hope”. May his team continue to work continuously to stabilize him and control the situation. ❤️ we will all still be here when you are able to return and will be cheering for Oliver in the meantime.
Dr. Jen, I don't know you and I am a new subscriber but I feel compelled to write back to this outstanding and beautifully full-hearted post. Sending you ease and a positive resolution as soon as it can come. I hope Oliver and you can feel hopeful and have that hope fulfilled again soon!
Best of health to you and your family. You are so great . Myself and colleagues will wait however long it takes. A lot of my friends don’t even know before I was born I had a sister over 50 years ago who passed on from heart disease. I do not know how you feel having a very sick son. I might not have mentioned I hate it when people say they know how you feel. I just know you are doing your very best and your son is so lucky to have you.
Dr. Jen, I adore you. It's not just that you are ready to go head-to-head with medical nonsense (some of which is so bad I can't even call it "misinformation" because that implies it's somehow related to information), or that you admit that even doctors have a hard time getting the care we all deserve, or that you generously share your personal life with us. I extra adore you for putting your kid first. Like ahead of writing for The Vajenda. I'm only 50, but I'm told that no one dies wishing they'd spent more time at work. Please, please, please, take ALL the time you need with your family. We love you. I have no idea whether any of those studies about "the power of prayer" are worth the paper they were printed on, but hopefully it's at least reassuring to know your peeps are all praying for you. (Or thinking good thoughts, or "sending energy," or whatever. I'm not part of a mainstream religion so I'm just guessing.) All my love to you and yours.
So very sorry to hear what Oliver and you and your other son are going through/have been through. You are an amazing bright light for so many of us, and I hope that light is reflecting back at you now with all the healing rays. I don’t know you, but I love you, and the honest, brilliant, and supremely caring work that you do to help us navigate the mysteries of health and our healthcare system. 💕
General thoughts into the ether: My beloved niece was diagnosed with cancer at age two. She was sick 14 months and died at the end of a four month stay, in and out of Peds ICU, and totaling 7 months in hospital altogether. I used to think my sister deserved medical or nursing credit hours for all you need to learn and absorb. Occasionally, the situation became so frustrating with the doctors, my sister would have a bit of melt down at them. And then, they thought she was an irrational mother, but they also reacted and did something. And, she was right in both cases. She was the opposite of irrational, they were training her it was the only way to get their attention. My sister wasn’t medical, but she was a smart, educated woman with a supportive ex, family around to help, resources to stop working and be there all the time. Advocacy is critical in these situations. After my niece's death, I became a nurse. I wanted to make the system better. While it ended up not the right long term fit (I still work in healthcare, just not clinically), I remain passionate about healthcare and want the system to be better.
Do what you need to do, Jen. We’ll be here when you’re able to come back, and thinking of you and Oliver in the meantime.
Agreed 100%.
Agreed!
Deep bow of gratitude to you and your willingness to be open and honest about your life. Please be where you need to be, with your son. Sending healing thoughts and prayers to Oliver and to your whole family.
I’m a very new subscriber, and yet, this post tells me everything I need to know to stay. I hope that you, and Oliver, and your family, have a smoother road ahead. We’ll be here waiting.
Same. I just subscribed last week, and this post made me feel like it was 100% the right addition to my reads.
Wow, such a difficult and scary time for you all. You must be exhausted. Don’t worry about your readers, we will all still be here. Go take care of yourself and family. Oliver couldn’t have a better mom and advocate. You and your family will be in my thoughts.
Hey Jen, I lost my husband around this time last year. As a nurse I understood everything that was going on, constantly monitored his IV's, I/O, the whole shebang. "What happened to those who didn’t have the medical knowledge or connections I had? " Knowledge is a blessing and a curse. My heart is with you and your son.
I lost my husband 15 years ago and know what we endured during his 4 years with cancer. Six surgeries, rehab, chemo and radiation. I do not have the medical background nor did he so we had to place our trust and faith in strangers. I still feel the word "hope" represents one of the worst 4 letter words.
I’m so sorry for your loss, Jen. Your strength and knowledge must have been a great comfort to your husband. My thoughts are with you and your son during this difficult time.
Jen -
Thank you for all the information you have given to us, your fellow humans that you will never meet, that helped us help ourselves or our loved ones.
Please know that we are all now paying it back to you through prayers, thoughts, good vibes, or whatever mechanisms we utilize in these moments of wanting to help from afar.
Be well Oliver!
Ditto!
As the parent of a medically complex son, my heart is with you, Oliver, Victor, your family, and medical team. I understand your thoughts on “hope”. May his team continue to work continuously to stabilize him and control the situation. ❤️ we will all still be here when you are able to return and will be cheering for Oliver in the meantime.
My sincerest wishes to Oliver and your loved ones for a speedy recovery.
Dr. Jen, I don't know you and I am a new subscriber but I feel compelled to write back to this outstanding and beautifully full-hearted post. Sending you ease and a positive resolution as soon as it can come. I hope Oliver and you can feel hopeful and have that hope fulfilled again soon!
Best of health to you and your family. You are so great . Myself and colleagues will wait however long it takes. A lot of my friends don’t even know before I was born I had a sister over 50 years ago who passed on from heart disease. I do not know how you feel having a very sick son. I might not have mentioned I hate it when people say they know how you feel. I just know you are doing your very best and your son is so lucky to have you.
Stay brave when you can, breathe always and with focus when you need, and cry as needed.
Thank you for your honesty and your hard work. I appreciate you, your work, your story, and your boys.
Blessings.
Dr. Jen, I adore you. It's not just that you are ready to go head-to-head with medical nonsense (some of which is so bad I can't even call it "misinformation" because that implies it's somehow related to information), or that you admit that even doctors have a hard time getting the care we all deserve, or that you generously share your personal life with us. I extra adore you for putting your kid first. Like ahead of writing for The Vajenda. I'm only 50, but I'm told that no one dies wishing they'd spent more time at work. Please, please, please, take ALL the time you need with your family. We love you. I have no idea whether any of those studies about "the power of prayer" are worth the paper they were printed on, but hopefully it's at least reassuring to know your peeps are all praying for you. (Or thinking good thoughts, or "sending energy," or whatever. I'm not part of a mainstream religion so I'm just guessing.) All my love to you and yours.
So very sorry to hear what Oliver and you and your other son are going through/have been through. You are an amazing bright light for so many of us, and I hope that light is reflecting back at you now with all the healing rays. I don’t know you, but I love you, and the honest, brilliant, and supremely caring work that you do to help us navigate the mysteries of health and our healthcare system. 💕
You are where you should be. We understand. Here's to better days ahead for the both of you!
Wishing you strength, wisdom, patience and love right now.
It’s everything when it comes to our kids.
This is exactly what I came here to say after reading the email. Thanks Terry.
We got you Dr. Jen!
Wishing you and your family the best.
General thoughts into the ether: My beloved niece was diagnosed with cancer at age two. She was sick 14 months and died at the end of a four month stay, in and out of Peds ICU, and totaling 7 months in hospital altogether. I used to think my sister deserved medical or nursing credit hours for all you need to learn and absorb. Occasionally, the situation became so frustrating with the doctors, my sister would have a bit of melt down at them. And then, they thought she was an irrational mother, but they also reacted and did something. And, she was right in both cases. She was the opposite of irrational, they were training her it was the only way to get their attention. My sister wasn’t medical, but she was a smart, educated woman with a supportive ex, family around to help, resources to stop working and be there all the time. Advocacy is critical in these situations. After my niece's death, I became a nurse. I wanted to make the system better. While it ended up not the right long term fit (I still work in healthcare, just not clinically), I remain passionate about healthcare and want the system to be better.
♥️