For those of you dear readers who have known me for the duration of our respective “lives” together, I am Nat. However, my legal first name, as bestowed by my mother Noyme (not a typo), is Nathan.
To the entire world of ALL of my healthcare providers (Onc or otherwise; hospital, clinic, pharmacy, etc.) I am Nathan W. Rosen (the “W” is another story). That moniker is on my charts, my obligatory ID/scanning wristband, and how everyone in the medical milieu refers to me (Nathan; or the even stuffier Mr. Rosen).
At times I forget that they are addressing me. At times I encourage them to please call me Nat. And at most times I just let it go - seeing as how Nathan technically connects me to my treatment and insurance identity (def don’t want to mess with that!)
It’s really not that big of a deal, and after nearly 5 years of cancer treatment, I’ve grown so accustomed to the practice and pronunciation, I just roll with it. But to a guy who thinks of himself as such a “Nat,” it does sound kind of funny and almost foolishly formal.
Being known as Nathan doesn’t in any way change my demeanor, discussions or delivery, but it does seem odd to enter the treatment world as if I’m a different person - to all of them at least. I sometimes wish that they could know the Nat within, but Nathan makes sure that they know that there is a Nat nested in there. Nat not Nate.
