Each Tuesday, The Citizen features a health professional from the Finger Lakes community in The Banks: This week, we spotlight nurse Denise Sobus.
Q. What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A. Probably seeing people with cancer get better.
Q. What is the most challenging?
A. Trying to talk patients into seeking chemotherapy when they don't want it in order to give them more length in their lifetime.
Q. Describe your ideal patient.
A. Patients who will tell you anything that's wrong, that spill their guts.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you could give someone to stay healthy?
A. Exercise and regular check-ups with a doctor.
Q. What's the most common misconception you hear from patients?
A. Most think when they get cancer their life is ended, but that's not true. We've had patients who had cancer for years. Most think when you walk through the office door it's a death sentence, and that's not true.
Q. If you weren't in the health care field, what career or field would you do?
A. I think doing something with computers. I didn't always use them, but I've become computer literate in the last four or five years.
Q. For someone considering a career like yours, what advice would you offer?
A. To seek people out in the field and see if they can shadow them, then they'll see if they really like it. Work at some point in a hospital so they're familiar with the hospital setting and sick people.
Q. What's your ideal cure for the common cold?
A. Actually, anything salty. Like mother said, chicken soup. I always tell people viruses can't survive in a salty environment, and colds are almost always viruses.
Q. In your opinion, which medical TV show is most realistic? Which is your favorite?
A. Probably “ER.” I haven't seen others except “House,” and that gets more far-fetched. “ER” is common, everyday emergencies.
Q. Despite being in the health care field, people would probably be surprised that when you're off the job, you _________.
A. Have about five phone call questions a week for medical emergencies and questions from patients and family members.
Denise Sobus
Age: 57
Hometown: Auburn
Family: Husband, Edward; daughter, Kristy, 33; sons: Casey, 26; Corey, 25
Education: Nursing school at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES
Occupation: Nurse for
oncologist Roger Tinsley,
17 E. Genesee St., Auburn
Hobbies: Camping, walking and gambling
A. Probably seeing people with cancer get better.
Q. What is the most challenging?
A. Trying to talk patients into seeking chemotherapy when they don't want it in order to give them more length in their lifetime.
Q. Describe your ideal patient.
A. Patients who will tell you anything that's wrong, that spill their guts.
Q. What is the best piece of advice you could give someone to stay healthy?
A. Exercise and regular check-ups with a doctor.
Q. What's the most common misconception you hear from patients?
A. Most think when they get cancer their life is ended, but that's not true. We've had patients who had cancer for years. Most think when you walk through the office door it's a death sentence, and that's not true.
Q. If you weren't in the health care field, what career or field would you do?
A. I think doing something with computers. I didn't always use them, but I've become computer literate in the last four or five years.
Q. For someone considering a career like yours, what advice would you offer?
A. To seek people out in the field and see if they can shadow them, then they'll see if they really like it. Work at some point in a hospital so they're familiar with the hospital setting and sick people.
Q. What's your ideal cure for the common cold?
A. Actually, anything salty. Like mother said, chicken soup. I always tell people viruses can't survive in a salty environment, and colds are almost always viruses.
Q. In your opinion, which medical TV show is most realistic? Which is your favorite?
A. Probably “ER.” I haven't seen others except “House,” and that gets more far-fetched. “ER” is common, everyday emergencies.
Q. Despite being in the health care field, people would probably be surprised that when you're off the job, you _________.
A. Have about five phone call questions a week for medical emergencies and questions from patients and family members.
Denise Sobus
Age: 57
Hometown: Auburn
Family: Husband, Edward; daughter, Kristy, 33; sons: Casey, 26; Corey, 25
Education: Nursing school at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES
Occupation: Nurse for
oncologist Roger Tinsley,
17 E. Genesee St., Auburn
Hobbies: Camping, walking and gambling
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