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Patient Develops Close Bond with Sutter Roseville Infusion Staff 05-08-2008
Roseville, Calif. | May 8, 2008 - Julie Tibbitts, 33, will be on chemotherapy for the rest of her life. Tibbitts was 28 - and pregnant with her now five-year-old daughter Jessica - when she was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer that had spread to her liver and her bones. After a courageous fight, she beat back the disease and has been cancer-free for five years. Part of the strategy of keeping the disease at bay is weekly chemotherapy treatments.
While Tibbitts receives chemotherapy at her oncologist Kristie Bobolis, M.D.'s office, Tibbitts also visits the Sutter Roseville Infusion Therapy Center, which is located in Medical Office Building 2 on the medical center campus. The center is staffed by registered nurses and medical assistants who work closely with pharmacists and physicians to coordinate patient treatment. Tibbitts credits the nurses and staff as a big part of the success in her treatment. "They get to know you on a personal level," she says. "They treat you like a person and not just a number. I know they really care."
Tibbitts' treatments can range anywhere from a five-minute shot to sessions that last for hours. While her treatment is serious business and a life-saving necessity, Tibbitts likes the fact that the staff keeps things light and takes an interest in her life outside of her therapy. "They make it fun. We like to chit chat," she says. "It doesn't have to be like, 'I'm getting chemo right now.'"
Lynette Messex, R.N., says that all of Sutter Roseville Infusion Therapy's patients become extended family members. "We know what's going on with their family and they know what's going on in our family," says Messex. "I lost my dad in December, and our patients were always asking 'How are you, how's your mom?'"
That family-type atmosphere makes it comfortable for patients to bring loved ones. Tibbitts, who lives in El Dorado Hills, sometimes brings her daughter to her treatments. "The staff is always so good with her," she says. "Kids ask a zillion questions, and they are always patient and answer them. They have helped create a comfort level for her so she is not scared."
Messex says that Tibbitts is a source of inspiration for many patients and Infusion Center staff. She is always upbeat and optimistic, says Messex. It's for that reason that Messex has asked Tibbitts in the past to call and comfort other women who have been diagnosed with cancer and who are in the same age range as Tibbitts. Messex says Tibbitts is always willing. "She is a huge support system for other people her age," says Messex. "It speaks volumes of the kind of person she is. She is so grounded and secure and is a wonderful source of information."
As Tibbitts points out, the gratitude goes both ways. "I would imagine that their jobs aren't easy," she says. "But they keep fighting for us every single day and their encouragement means so much."
Sutter Cancer Center, Roseville does more than treat a disease. We care for people living with cancer and strive to meet their physical, mental and emotional needs. Through comprehensive programs and services, we support our patients and those who care for them. For more information, visit suttercancer.org.
While Tibbitts receives chemotherapy at her oncologist Kristie Bobolis, M.D.'s office, Tibbitts also visits the Sutter Roseville Infusion Therapy Center, which is located in Medical Office Building 2 on the medical center campus. The center is staffed by registered nurses and medical assistants who work closely with pharmacists and physicians to coordinate patient treatment. Tibbitts credits the nurses and staff as a big part of the success in her treatment. "They get to know you on a personal level," she says. "They treat you like a person and not just a number. I know they really care."
Tibbitts' treatments can range anywhere from a five-minute shot to sessions that last for hours. While her treatment is serious business and a life-saving necessity, Tibbitts likes the fact that the staff keeps things light and takes an interest in her life outside of her therapy. "They make it fun. We like to chit chat," she says. "It doesn't have to be like, 'I'm getting chemo right now.'"
Lynette Messex, R.N., says that all of Sutter Roseville Infusion Therapy's patients become extended family members. "We know what's going on with their family and they know what's going on in our family," says Messex. "I lost my dad in December, and our patients were always asking 'How are you, how's your mom?'"
That family-type atmosphere makes it comfortable for patients to bring loved ones. Tibbitts, who lives in El Dorado Hills, sometimes brings her daughter to her treatments. "The staff is always so good with her," she says. "Kids ask a zillion questions, and they are always patient and answer them. They have helped create a comfort level for her so she is not scared."
Messex says that Tibbitts is a source of inspiration for many patients and Infusion Center staff. She is always upbeat and optimistic, says Messex. It's for that reason that Messex has asked Tibbitts in the past to call and comfort other women who have been diagnosed with cancer and who are in the same age range as Tibbitts. Messex says Tibbitts is always willing. "She is a huge support system for other people her age," says Messex. "It speaks volumes of the kind of person she is. She is so grounded and secure and is a wonderful source of information."
As Tibbitts points out, the gratitude goes both ways. "I would imagine that their jobs aren't easy," she says. "But they keep fighting for us every single day and their encouragement means so much."
Sutter Cancer Center, Roseville does more than treat a disease. We care for people living with cancer and strive to meet their physical, mental and emotional needs. Through comprehensive programs and services, we support our patients and those who care for them. For more information, visit suttercancer.org.