Geoff Pastrick - NSH-Leukemia patient
Dear Northside Hospital and BMT Team-
I am not sure if I can ever express the amount of gratitude we have for your organization and the entire BMT Unit/ “FAB 5 Team”, that is what we call the doctors at the BMT unit.
When we arrived at the BMT February 1st-we were scared to death, we had no idea what to expect, we knew nothing about this type of cancer, and as a self-proclaimed control freak and fixer – this was something I couldn’t fix.
Dr. Bashey breezed thru the door and we were taken back that he clearly memorized my husband’s entire chart and picked up who everyone was in the room at the time. He walked us thru his chart and condition as if you had known him for years. He was direct, matter of fact, but the confidence he had about what we were facing and what the plan was made us feel comfortable for the first time in 4 days. As we worked with all of the Fab 5 team over the last 7 months, we got to know all their personalities and the way they all went about things. From the occasional jokes from Dr. Morris, to Dr. Sohl and Dr. Solomon negotiating discharge times, (yes apparently you can’t plan cancer), to even getting Dr. Holland to laugh under his mask on occasion and seeing him show up on his day off to personally check on a horrible leg infection. The entire Fab 5 team have been amazing to work with!
As we wind this journey down and focus on remission, I wanted to thank you! Thank you for the dedication you have to your patients. Thank you Northside and your phenomenal team of doctors for all for being direct communicators and answering the crazy questions all the time. Thank you for hiring such an amazing team. From the nurses in the BMT, the EV staff (Stefan), the food services people, the clinic staff (Kristen and Ansley have been rockstars) the team in radiology (Mackenzie has been a complete angel thru 17 lumbar punctures), the mid level staff (Melissa, Ann, Laura, and others) who have dealt with us on good days), to Leslie our coordinator who kept me off the ledge and answered all my random questions without hesitation, and of course Else who was always a smiling face when we arrive! The TEAM is NAILS! We don’t know all the staff personally but the Northside BMT Team and the FAB 5 will be part of our family forever. Thank you for your dedication to Beating Cancer’s A$&, for being an anchor for us during this terrible storm, and for most importantly saving my husband’s life! We will forever be grateful for all you have done.
We have a small gift as my many people ring a bell when their journey is over. It symbolizes -being done and I think every clinic should have one. It is mounted on an anchor, as you all are the anchors for many of your patients!
We hope when we come back on a volunteer basis we will see it hanging in the hallway for your future fighters!
Thank you ALL again, for everything you do!
Heather and Geoff Pastrick
Geoff Pastrick- NSH-Leukemia patient