Thursday, July 26th, 2012
Let me paint a picture for you.
You have cancer. You go for a chemo treatment. You know that the chemo can kill the disease, but it won’t be easy.
You arrive at the treatment center in the morning. First you line up for a blood test. You need to pass this test before they let you have the chemo. You nervously let them try and find a vein to take your blood. Since this is not your first time, the technician has to go through several attempts to find a vein. He keeps apologizing as he pricks you.
While waiting for the results to come back, you sit in one of the nice recliners. Maybe you pull the footrest lever so you can raise your legs and get comfortable. You turn on your laptop, check your e-mail, and try to smile politely at the other patients waiting for chemo.
You know that many will not make it.
You wonder if you will.
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Tags: bitter medicine, blood, Chairs, chemo patients, chemo treatment, disease, Let, matter, pricks, recliners, Shaare, test, treatment, vein
Posted in Israel, Stella | 8 Comments »
Monday, July 18th, 2011
Thanks for the flowers
As soon as we get home today, I know that we will get a million phone calls asking how chemo went. So I figured I might as well explain. The fact that I am writing at 2:30 in the afternoon rather than at 2:30 in the morning might also be a good thing.
Here’s how chemo day works. When we got here, Stella had a blood test that is required prior to chemo. A technician took some blood and then told us that it will be much faster if we take the bag of blood to the lab ourselves rather than wait for someone to do it. So there we were going between the 7th floor (oncology) and the fourth (diagnostics) with a bag of blood.
Of course Stella does not take elevators so we took the stairs. Not nearly as exciting as those high tech elevators at Asuta Hopsital in Tel Aviv. Shaare Tzedek may not be as sleek as Asuta, but it’s more haimish personal.
While waiting for the chemo, patients can get reflexology and massages in the relaxation room. While Stella initially said that she didn’t need “any of that (sissy) stuff,” she relented and went for a little foot massage. Although I think she did it just to make the volunteer happy. (By the way, they did NOT offer me any foot massages, and I was disappointed because I really wanted to show off my infamous runner’s toes.)
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Tags: 7th floor, afternoon, bag, blood test, cancer patients, chemo, chemo patients, coffee, coffee enema, elevators, Facebook, foot, foot massage, foot massages, home, phone, reclining chairs, relaxation room, technician, test, today, tzedek, volunteer
Posted in Israel, Stella | 20 Comments »
Let me paint a picture for you.
