Dedication of Local Doctors Helped Put Parent at Ease
Dedication of Local Doctors Helped Put Parent at Ease
Editor,
Hollister is blessed with some excellent doctors and at least two should be recognized.
On New Year’s Eve, my oldest daughter, Madison, a leukemia/bone marrow transplant survivor woke up unable to walk and in severe pain. I took her to Hazel Hawkins, hoping for something minor like a torn ligament or a broken knee cap.
The fear that the cancer had returned is in the back of every parent’s mind who has ever had a child with cancer and that fear is our worst nightmare.
Taking such a child to a local hospital also raises questions about whether local doctors will even want to look at her, given her background, or if they will just tell you to wait until the next business day to contact the child’s oncologist – something a parent does not want to hear. Waiting for any resolution is a nightmare to the parent of a child with cancer.
Dr. Gersten was the emergency doctor working. His specialty is emergency medicine, not oncology, and he knew what my daughter’s history was. He didn’t just refer us back to Stanford. He took blood work, including tests not requested or required, he took X-rays, he had a CT scan performed.
He contacted Dr. Bruce Yager, our primary pediatrician, who has been with Madison every step of the way of her cancer treatment and recovery.
Dr. Gersten ran every conceivable test, talked to me about them, reviewed the results, and conferred with Dr. Yager. Dr. Gersten did everything he could do allay our fears, at the same time keeping in mind the very serious nature of Madison’s medical history. He went far beyond the call of duty.
As I stood at the door of the CT scan room, a man put his arm around me and smiled. I wasn’t too surprised to find Dr. Yager there saying only, “I was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by.”
Sure. It’s Sunday. It’s a holiday. He’s on vacation. But he was just in the neighborhood and thought he’d stop by. Dr. Yager has been “in the neighborhood” and “just stopped by” on evenings, on weekends on holidays I don’t know how many times.
Dr. Gersten is a hidden gem and I am thankful for his thoroughness and diligence in doing all he did for Madison, especially in an emergency room.
Dr. Yager is a shining star Hollister is fortunate to retain and one, I believe, that is highly undervalued. Dr. Yager researches the illnesses of his patients, he finds resources for them, he coordinates care with facilities like Stanford, he follows up on every health issue, he maintains personal relationships with his patients, and he just shows up “in the neighborhood” when he could be home having dinner with his family.
Try to find this kind of dedication in a big city.
Colleen Eastman
Hollister
