"Thank you to a very special specialist nurse"

An appointment letter comes through my door, stating the date, time and who i'll be seeing - i.e. specialist nurse or consultant. This time it says specialist nurse and my hopes are raised.

The day of appointment arrives and myself and husband set off for the hospital and fantastic, it's a much needed afternoon appointment. This is extremely important for people such as myself with severe rheumatoid arthritis who just can't jump out of bed, have a shower, get dressed and out the door in half an hour.

Unlike when i was working as a nurse manager of an Alzheimer unit, running around at all hours for a minimum of 12 hours a day, 6 days a week.

We arrive 10 to 15 minutes to spare, when out of the corner of my eye I see Sarah G. I now know I'm going to be given undivided attention, full explanations, empathic listening, honest answers, a shoulder to cry on and above all else, leave to go home, safe in the knowledge that I am being well looked after and been given all the information I need to make informed decisions as to the best drug regime for me. All the things I hope I achieved in my working life.

So to all the rheumatology team, but especially Sarah G, a heartfelt thank you, and a very happy new year.