Full Of It

I would say yesterday was the waning day of the "What If" stuff. The reason is that yesterday there was a perfect storm of a documentary on The Learning Channel about a person with a rare cancer and her response, a feature on "60 Minutes" about a gentleman that had created a machine that targets cancer cells using radio waves (thanks go out to a friend of mine for calling me and letting me know it was coming on) and a post by Bo's mother about her working through the "what if's." By the way, they are hosting a St. Baldricks's event this weekend and have raised over $33,000 towards their $35,000 goal. Good work! After that, they head out to Hollywood next week for Bo's "Make A Wish" trip.

I have identified an area for my own volunteerism when things get back to "normal." I hope to help patients with the transition from their initial contact with their oncologist to their contact with the chemotherapy team. I have mentioned it to the doctors and nurses I have met and they think it is a good idea. It would involve introducing the new patient directly to the chemotherapy team and helping the new patient see the relationship that I, as a former patient, developed with the team. The introduction would be done in advance of the first chemotherapy treatment in order to alleviate "First Chemo Day Anxiety." I remember when my neighbor picked me up to take me to my first chemo appointment. I felt like I was headed to the gas chamber because all I knew at the time was that "Now all the bad stuff due to chemotherapy side effects is going to start happening." When I left there, that day, I felt like I had been to a party.

In the meantime, if you have a friend or family member that is scheduled to begin chemo, encourage them to ask if they can speak to a former patient who has been through what they are scheduled to go through and also ask if they can meet the chemo team in advance of beginning chemo.

May God bless you to live as long as you want to; and want to as long as you live! -Scottish Proverb