Both Sides of the Bedside: From Oncology Nurse to Patient, an RN’s Journey with Cancer

Oncology Nurse, Christine Magnus Moore, stood by the bedside of cancer patients for many years, caring for them as they endured major surgeries, chemotherapy and even the aftermath of grueling bone marrow transplants. They fought a battle with an enemy in their bodies: cancer. Some triumphed and some did not. Fighting for her patients’ health, she thought of herself as a soldier on the battlefield and was amazed at how they dealt with their difficult road and that they often thanked her with a smile. As connected as she felt to her patients, she didn’t fully comprehend the courage it took to confront cancer every day until she became one of them. Christine navigates the rough road involved with cancer treatment, experiencing exhaustion beyond belief, debilitating nausea and pain, and other side effects which are overwhelmingly more difficult than she’d ever imagined. Her road is arduous and humbling and she is taxed to her core in every way: emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Living on the other side of the bedside, she feels vulnerable when some of the doctors and nurses she’s worked with become her caregivers…on top of all that her love life begins to present challenges as well. Christine emerges a cancer survivor and gains a profound understanding of the suffering her patients had weathered, discovering that her life has been re-calibrated. She embraces her higher purpose with an amplified vigor and empathy to help others dealing with the disease. Through the darkest of times, she finds the deepest grief and tears can produce the greatest strength and passion.