A Thank-You Note from Patient Elīna to Dr. J. Zariņš 

Hello!

I have actually wanted for a long time to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. J. Zariņš for his attentive and respectful care, support, and professional approach throughout my treatment and rehabilitation—not only verbally but also in writing. His support is invaluable. He is a man with golden hands.

I’ve been meaning to write this email for a long time, because there’s so much I want to say, but most of it can’t be put into words, because they are the emotions and feelings I have after yet another visit, which time and again gives me hope that everything will be okay, because I’ve found the right Doctor (with a capital D). The work of the staff and nurses is also invaluable, because the care and support these people provide is on a much higher level, both professionally and in terms of their human touch. It’s indescribable.

Actually, my story begins way back in the summer of 2020, and it’s not over yet—though I hope that the light I feel is the light at the end of the tunnel. In August 2020, my upper jaw started to ache. The pain was mild, temporary, and seemed familiar from before. The first thing that came to mind was a tooth that used to ache from time to time. At first, it didn’t seem like anything serious—I didn’t even make an appointment—but since the pain only got worse over the course of a couple of weeks, I made an appointment with my dentist to have my teeth checked. While I waited another two weeks for the appointment, the pain got worse, but it was still bearable, and painkillers helped. The appointment was moved up a bit because my brother was experiencing acute pain. Thinking that my situation wasn’t serious—that it was just a toothache—and since my brother’s pain was already unbearable, we switched appointments.

Unfortunately, my pain only got worse. Nothing was found during the visit, but we agreed that I would go to the Institute of Stomatology to have my wisdom teeth removed, since it seemed like they might be causing pain higher up by irritating the nerves. I made an appointment, and the next day, my wisdom tooth was extracted.

After a couple of days, the pain hadn't subsided and seemed to be getting worse, so I urgently made an appointment at an emergency dental clinic, where they took an X-ray and determined that I had impacted teeth (which I already knew) and concluded that they had started to erupt after a 20-year hiatus. I made another urgent appointment at the dental institute, had an X-ray, and again—nothing; everything looked fine, and the images showed nothing wrong. The suggestion that the pressure might be caused by a tooth that hadn’t erupted since childhood was unlikely, because such teeth have ossified to the point that, if they didn’t erupt back then, they won’t erupt now. No one can tell me what’s causing the pain, but they mentioned that I could try to make an appointment with a neurologist and recommended that I go to the non-emergency PSKUS. There, they listened to me but determined that my case wasn’t acute; they didn’t offer any help and simply referred me back to my family doctor.

I was already overwhelmed with emotions and anxiety, but with the help of friends, I managed to make an appointment with neurologist Dr. Vecvagars, who, luckily, was able to see me that very same day because a slot had opened up. The pain was already quite severe—it even radiated to my ear—and I couldn’t sleep normally at night; medication wasn’t helping. During the visit, I was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia. Antibiotics.

After taking the medication for a week, I started to feel better, but then, a week later, my cheek began to swell—and quite rapidly, I might add. During a follow-up visit with Dr. Vecvagars, thanks to the doctor’s prompt action, I was seen the very next day—out of turn—by a facial and jaw surgeon at the Institute of Stomatology, where the doctor, after examining me, suggested three possible diagnoses—arthritis, cysts, or a tumor. He referred me for tests and told me to return to him as soon as the results were in (in the meantime, I had already had an ultrasound, but nothing was found there). Upon receiving the results, I was urgently advised to see a neurosurgeon at PSKUS. I saw Dr. Valeiņš. More tests, an MRI, and another referral—this time to the maxillofacial surgeons at PSKUS. The conclusion from the tests was clear: urgent hospitalization and a biopsy. At first, I was scheduled with one surgeon, but due to the doctor’s illness, the biopsy was performed by another surgeon. After the surgery, I had to spend a week in the hospital. I had to wait at least two weeks for the biopsy results, and the pain was already unbearable. Sleeplessness and the prescribed sedatives and painkillers did not help. Thanks to my attending physician and her quick response, I was referred to the palliative care unit to see Dr. Albina.

And finally, after three months of suffering and three weeks of waiting for the biopsy results, I received my diagnosis—oncology, sarcoma.

And this is where the story of Dr. Zariņa’s involvement begins (though I only put the pieces together now, while listening to an interview on one of the radio shows). The only surgeon who was willing to take the risk of operating on me was Dr. Anna Ivanova and her team. I agreed to radical surgery involving the removal of my jawbone because there was no other option. Of course, my initial feelings after the surgery weren’t encouraging, since my cheek was gone. I also had no movement, but Dr. Ivanova’s support and care were invaluable. Even back then, in December 2020, I was reassured that everything could be corrected and restored to some extent, but the details would be worked out after I had recovered—that is, at least six months later.

I didn't undergo chemotherapy, but I was prescribed 35 sessions of radiation therapy. That was a lot, but I had a positive attitude, and aside from some external burns and minimal sores on my tongue after treatment, there were no other side effects. After spending four months in the hospital, I finally got to go home at the end of February. At this stage, all the specialists involved played a truly significant role, including Dr. Zariņš, who— without my knowing it at the time, was already involved in my subsequent treatment process—reconstruction. I started reading about the possibilities for restoring mobility after surgery, searching for information, and came across your center’s website; I read the descriptions and realized that there were options. I began to research the information in more detail and came across several more articles in which Dr. Zariņš himself shared his personal experience. 

Half a year had passed, and during a follow-up visit with Dr. Ivanova, we began planning the reconstruction. I was referred to a microsurgeon, and it was only then that I fully realized what was happening, connecting the dots with what I had read earlier that spring. Thanks to her, I was referred to Dr. Zariņš. Right from the first visit, I knew I’d found the right person. We discussed everything in detail, going over the possibilities, risks, and options. I realized I could trust him, and I knew everything would turn out well—and it did. Last fall, while listening to an interview on a radio show that also featured Dr. Zariņš, I realized how lucky I was to be part of such a wonderful team of doctors who specialize in handling exactly these kinds of situations. I was truly fortunate to be under the care of these doctors, because their support over the past two years has been invaluable. I have regained my smile, and I’m able to move my muscles again. After the first reconstruction, I was surprised by the attitude and the additional support and care I received—I felt even more secure in their hands—from the occupational therapist, physical therapist, and speech-language pathologist. All the specialists took care of me, and Dr. Zariņš, in turn, made sure of that. I understand that for your center, it goes without saying that this kind of attitude toward patients should always be the norm, but when reading other patients’ stories, I was pleasantly surprised, because for me, the very fact that I was able to undergo the reconstruction surgery meant a great deal.

There’s just a little bit left, and I really hope everything goes well, because I trust Dr. Zariņš with all my heart, and I’m so grateful to him and his fantastic team for everything they’ve done for me!

THANK YOU!

Elīna Baranovska