April 01, 2008

My experience with Dr. Kanayama and his team:

It was in late November 2007, I had abnormal bleeding and strong stomach pain, the pain was only getting stronger and I had no choice but start calling gynaecologists to schedule an emergency visit. First, I called my regular gynaecologist and she thought I could be pregnant. The answer just didn’t seem right, so I kept calling other gynaecologists, but it was very hard to get an appointment right away as a new patient, except Dr. Kanayama. My boss at work recommended Dr. Kanayama to me and he was my last hope. I talked to Sabrina, the office manager at his office and she kindly scheduled me for the very next day. Later on I found out that Dr. Kanayama was not only very well known with Japanese patients but with Americans as well.

At my appointment, with ultrasound exam, I was told that my ovaries were tilted 45 degrees and I was scheduled for surgery immediately. He explained me about endometriosis in detail so I could understand what I was going through. The surgery took place in Greenwich Hospital, CT. Since this was my first hospital visit in America, I couldn’t compare this hospital with others, but it was a very beautiful hospital that it almost looked like a luxury hotel. My husband, who accompanied me, was also very impressed with the staff and facilities.

While I was waiting for my surgery, I got very scared and started crying. Even though I knew that I had the best doctor in the US and surgery was going to be successful, since I never had any surgeries in my life and being away from my family in Japan, I couldn’t hold my tears. Dr. Kanayama stopped by my room before the surgery and said:”Mousugu yokunarimasuyo”, (you will get better soon). It was like a magical voice, which made me feel better. Also, nurses and his team were very understanding and helped me to get through the surgery.

The surgery was a success, but it took me longer than other patients to recover because of the stress I had. The pressure of going back to work only made recovery slower. Throughout that time Dr. Kanayama and Sabrina were always there to understand my problems and support me. Sabrina is amazing. Not only she is caring about each patient, she does a great job dealing with insurance companies and each patient employer to make everything work out for patients. I do not know how many more visits I have to make to Dr. Kanayama’s office, but I know for sure that when I’m done, I’m going to miss Dr. Kanayama, Sabrina and his staff. It was like being at home.

Aika Cardin