The Good: I pulled the handle on the car door, peered in, and confirmed this was my driver for the day... it was, and I was greeted by a big smile and “my, you are looking ravishing today.”
This charmer is one of many seniors who are part of the volunteer ride program through the cancer society who get me to and from my daily appointments for radiation.
I’ve introduced the charmer... then there’s the sidewalk rider, and the one who has 11 siblings of which 8 were diagnosed with cancer, and the man who combed the hospital searching for me thinking he’d given me the wrong cell phone number, and the guy who loves driving so much now that he’s retired he drives cancer patients, a limo, and a dump truck in his spare time...
I wonder who will be behind the next handle...
The Bad: Radiation is doing a number on my arm, the one I’ve tried so hard to get mobility back in through months of Physio, ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Now throw in the feeling of being burned from the inside out and that pretty much sums up the experience so far.
I feel like I’m riding a bicycle that’s suspended, lopsided, and now the chain broke... it’s not like I was going anywhere being suspended but now I’m covered in grease.
The What the ???: I’m sitting in the waiting room when I hear “hey, I bet your toe problem isn’t from radiation” he says with a smile, “no, it’s not from radiation” I reply returning the smile and getting back to the incredibly boring hospital newsletter I was reading. His wife is now eying my toe and they both need to know the story behind the band aid, so they ask again... “My toenails are still falling off from chemo treatments” was not the answer they expected.
I know, I know... they are just making conversation, nobody means any harm, blah blah blah... but if everyone kept this simple rule in mind the waiting room would be a better place... Band Aid = Bad/ No Band Aid = Good... chances are if you ask what’s underneath a band aid it’s going to fall under the “Bad” category of conversations.
Lessons Learned: Several people in the hospital can access my files, which includes scheduled appointments... so rather than arguing with reception in radiation to “release” my schedule a day early so I can provide the cancer society the notice they require to secure a ride, I just ask someone else in the hospital to “release” those dates and everyone walks away happy :)
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