...talk to other cancer patients. Because we are just people out of our heads.
Tough day at the oncologist yesterday. I went for the second herceptin infusion. Things went fine for me. It was the talking to other cancer patients that went wrong.
First up. The woman in the waiting room. She looks at me and says do you have cancer? Yes. She says I have cancer. I have cancer of the colon and it is in my liver. Two years ago I had just had a baby and went to my doctor because I was passing blood in my stool. She told me you just had a baby, it's hemorrhoids. I kept going back to her over the next two years because it wasn't getting better and I didn't feel good. I put so much into this doctor because she had graduated from Harvard. Then the nurse came and called her back with some other people. I didn't really get a chance to respond and I don't know how she finally got diagnosed. Shit. She has a 2 year old and a 4 year old. If you know something is wrong and your Harvard doctor is ignoring you, find one that went to a less prestigious college but, can actually think and listen!
Next up. We are now sitting in chemo row as all the cubbies were full. Next to me is the woman who had chemo on Thursdays with me. I haven't seen her since June when I was finished. We got caught up. She finished chemo in July and had surgery at the end of August. I asked her how she was doing. This is cancer patient code for where do things stand for you now. She says I have to have a second surgery. They want to take more lymph nodes out from my right side. Now, we just sit a minute and stare at each other. This is the oh fuck stare. She goes on to say they are doing as outpatient and with a local. Good I respond you won't have to be put out again and you can go home. You got to find the good stuff. Basically to interpret, more lymph node removal means they found cancer in all the ones they took out and feel they need to take out more. Invasive and aggressive is what this means. Shit. She was just having blood drawn and left when she was done.
Next up. Oh yea it gets better. This poor bastard comes in to get his blood drawn. Not sure what the problem was but it seems he didn't hydrate enough. They poked him like a human pin cushion for 30 minutes before they got something. And then the vein quit. The nurse said let me go run this and see if I got enough. He was gone shorty after. Not sure if he bailed or if she actually got enough blood. Tip: before anyone is going to stick a needle in your vein, be hydrated. Drink tons of water the day before and of. Best until your pee is clear and keep it that way. Plump veins.
Next up. These two guys and ways down the row. They both had cancer of the lymph nodes of some sort. I could just hear them exchanging stories and notes on reactions and drugs. OK not so bad and at least it seemed like they were trying to support each other.
Next up. AND this was the killer. Man in a wheel chair. Age hard to determine, well over 6 feet tall. Had the most wicked stitched up incision on the side of his head. Fuck man brain cancer. He is in bad shape. Bad. Took four people to help him get on the scales. They wanted to weigh him. His weight was 230. Nurse says he has lost 10 pounds since Friday! No one is happy. The nurse says get him back there on a bed and let's hydrate him. Then Nicole the physicians assistant appears. She goes to talk to him and the two women with him. We left before he appeared again.
Rough day. My next infusion in Oct. 12th. Hope there is a cubbie available.
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