Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Gift-giving etiquette

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Gift-giving etiquette

    Hi all -- my next follow-up appointment with Dr. Boachie is in December, and I'm planning on giving him a donation toward his FOCOS foundation. I'm wondering about other people on his staff who have been helpful to me, especially his nurse, who I've e-mailed a thousand times with questions.

    Have you given thank you notes and/or gifts to your surgeons and/or surgeons' staffs? I'm somewhat clueless when it comes to this kind of thing and wondered what the rest of you had done along these lines.

    Thanks!
    Chris
    A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
    Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
    Post-op curve: 12 degrees
    Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

  • #2
    Chris,

    I know exactly how you feel! The surgeon and his staff were always very helpful before, during and after my daughter's surgery. I felt weird about only giving a gift to certain people so what I did was give thank you cards, in private if possible so you don't make others feel bad, and then I usually took cookies, candy, or fruit to her follow up visits as a way of saying thank you without excluding anyone.

    The only time I gave a gift directly to her doctor was when he left our area to go to another state. In your case, I'd suggest giving Dr. Boachie a thank you card along with your donation to FOCOS. I'm sure he'd be happier about the donation than a personal gift.

    Mary Lou
    Mom to Jamie age 21-diagnosed at age 12-spinal fusion 12/7/2004-fused from T3-L2; and Tracy age 19, mild Scoliosis-diagnosed at age 18.

    Comment


    • #3
      I wrote detailed thank you letters addressed to the respective supervisors in charge of the hospital, rehab, and the staff and doctors at the doctor's office. I also wrote letters of commendation about the hotel staff that took care of my family, and the customer service reps at Blue Cross/Blue Shield. We have discussed a large platter of cookies for each of their offices at Christmas, but I do not think I can afford to do this after all, and I am scrambling to think of other ideas to recognize them. I sure understand the need to thank good people for jobs well done. I could use the ideas, too... thanks for bringing it up!
      Lisa age 47
      T curve 69 degrees
      L curve 40 degrees more or less - compensatory
      fused to from T-3 to sacrum
      anterior and posterior surgeries completed June 1, 2007
      pushing hard in recovery !!

      Comment


      • #4
        Chris, I think giving Dr. Boachie a donation is certainly the way to go. What I did recently... My pain management doctor and office staff is so incredible that when I went for a visit last month (they took me last minute as I was really hurting and had to get on a plane the next day), I went to the bakery in the morning and brought fresh pastries as a way of thanking them for always being so helpful, etc. They were very grateful. Lynn
        1981 Surgery with Harrington Rod; fused from T2 to L3 - Dr.Keim (at 26 years old)
        2000 Partial Rod Removal
        2001 Right Scapular Resection
        12/07/2010 Surgical stabilization L3 through sacrum with revision harrington rod instrumentation, interbody fusion and pre-sacral fusion L5-S1 - Dr. Boachie (at 56 years old)
        06/11/14 - Posterior cervical fusion C3 - T3 (Mountaineer System) due to severely arthritic joints - Dr. Patrick O'Leary (at age 59)

        Comment


        • #5
          I called the office on my way in to a check up appointment and took every ones order for Starbucks. They loved it!

          Comment


          • #6
            I presented Dr. Boachie with a home made Christmas stollen and he was thrilled.
            Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
            Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

            Comment


            • #7
              I think Suzy's idea is so great! Since I'm a mocha girl, it just seems like something everyone would love

              I had such a wonderful experience with Dr. Wagner at U. of Washington in Seattle, and his entire staff, so I sent them a "tower of treats" from Harry and David. I thought all those health care professionals might enjoy some healthy fruit treats along with the baklava!

              I also sent a super mushy thank you card, written while I was still on oxycodone if that tells you anything, addressed to Dr. Wagner and staff. Three weeks later, I received a card personally written AND addressed by Dr. Wagner, thanking me for the treats and wishing me well.
              31 year old female
              55* (day of surgery) thoracic curve w/compensatory lumbar
              T4-T12 on Aug 15, 2007

              MRI, pre-surgery
              Xray, 3 mos. post-op
              Machu Picchu, 8 mos. post-op

              Comment


              • #8
                What great ideas! Thank you so much. Keep them coming!!!

                Karen, what the heck is a "stollen" ???????
                Chris
                A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
                Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
                Post-op curve: 12 degrees
                Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

                Comment


                • #9
                  I believe it's a cake-german-right Karen??
                  LY-

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    When I was nursing, the best gifts where thank-you cards that mentioned people specifically, and then a communal present like cookies, chocolate, etc.. donations would be really good too because we always were needing equipment.
                    1994 curve at age 13, 70 degrees, untreated
                    2000 Anterior fusion with instrumentation T9-L2, corrected to 36 degrees, 14 degree angle between fused and un-fused thoracic spine.
                    2007 26 degrees junctional scoliosis
                    Revision surgery, 6th December 2007 T4 to L3, Posterior approach.
                    msandham.blogspot.com

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X