Show Us Your Life-Working Moms

I have never linked over from Kelly's blog for any of the "Show Us Your Life," because quite frankly my life isn't that exciting. I don't decorate, I don't have a single relative to offer up, and I definitely don't cook very well. When I saw that today's topic was about Working Moms though I just had to post.

I am an Oncology Nurse Navigator working in a community cancer center in a large metropolitan city. I guide patients, families, and their caregivers to informed decision-making; collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team to allow for timely cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and increased supportive care across the continuum. That is quite a mouthful but what I do is ensure that my patients have everything they need to make decisions regarding their care. This includes doing education with them on their cancer, walking through their treatment options, helping them to look realistically at their future and what is important to them.

I do other things in my position such as: ensuring that the uninsured and underinsured get the cancer care they need, determining that they have everything they need in order to complete their treatment, whether that be assisting a patient to find childcare or transportation to their treatments, linking them to our supportive services such as nutrition counseling, behavioral health counseling, exercise classes and support groups.

I have had the privilege of seeing patients finish treatment and move into survivorship and I have also watched beloved patients die and have cried with their family. I have been allowed into some of the most intimate moments in these people's lives and I never taken that honor for granted.

I love what I do and I couldn't imagine doing anything else. I love going to work each day.

This past year I accepted a position in a cancer program where I am developing their navigation program in breast, colon, lung and gyn cancers. It has been a long year but such a rewarding one as I see the impact that we have had in patient's lives.

When my girls were much younger I didn't feel as confident in my decision to work outside the home. I let comments get to me, "daycare was raising my child," "I could never do what you do, I could never leave my baby." I almost let those comments eat me up inside. Ironically, the church where I should have felt the most love and support was often the most judgemental place about my choice to work.

Many years older now, I have come to the realization that I don't have to justify my decision. I don't engage in the working mom vs. stay-at-home debate. Those who are most vocal I believe, are often the most uncomfortable with their own decision to be at home or to work. I believe that God placed me where I am and that he gave me this career to make a difference in people's lives.

I have three beautiful girls and while I hope that they pursue more education, my prayer is that they discover what God has for them and for their lives, whether that be as a neurosurgeon, a missionary or a stay-at-home mom.

I balance as best as I can. I am fortunate to have a flexible position which allows me to be at class parties and career days. I go in late some days and early others. I balance professional work dinner meetings with pizza nights at Stevie B's with my husband and girls. I am fortunate to have a stay-at-home mom friend who loves my girls like her own. My youngest goes home after school each day to her house and hangs out and does her homework there. In return, I chauffeur our girls to Color Guard practices, pay for music instrument rentals for both of our children, babysit for date nights for her and her husband and make sure that I never take her for granted. It works well for us and that is what is important.