Radiation Day #25 ... Part II: After this afternoons accident we decided to postpone our celebration of the end of my radiation therapy until tomorrow. From initial consultation right through todays final treatment I have been incredibly impressed with how professional, yet caring, the entire staff and treatment team at UABs Comprehensive Cancer Center (Kirklin Clinic at Acton Road) has been. Everything about the clinic was bright and upbeat. When we, as patients, needed an extra morale boost, it was right there and from the heart. If we needed physical assistance, that was right there too. Even the phlebotomists are the best vampires in the South. Contrast that to Hospital #1 where the oncologists waiting area was dark and somber. His staff was strategically located so that you had to walk up to a glass-enclosed area and wait for them to come to the window. The oncologists bedside manner was more appropriate for a funeral parlor than a battlefield where the patients are fighting for their lives. If there was a dark side to any possibility, that was the primary topic of discussion. It was almost like they were painting the worst case scenario so they could be the hero if things worked out great ... but so they could just nod sagely if things went as expected all along. My thinking may be unusual but I have always felt that it was the patients job to fight to the bitter end. We owe that to our families and friends. I wanted warriors on my side in this fight and, by changing medical teams, thats exactly what I got. I fully realize that some patients and their families fold up like an accordion as soon as the word cancer is uttered. Their immediate thought is that all hope is gone and its time to get their affairs in order. Nothing that I can say or write will change that mindset because that apparently is the traditional way of looking at cancer. I do extend my sympathy to those patients who are willing or are pressured into that way of thinking ... I just could not personally accept it. Having any type of cancer is NOT a crime nor is it a disgrace! Neither is it an automatic death sentence! Yet I have watched some people recoil when they learn that I have a malignant tumor. Their reaction to me having radiation therapy was even more revealing about just how uninformed some people are. As Ive mentioned before, even after 25 treatments I dont glow in the dark and dont set off Geiger counters. Folks, running away from cancer does not win the battle. Stand beside your friends and give them your love and support ... dont walk away when we need you the most. Patients ... DO YOUR JOB!! FIGHT LIKE HELL WITH EVERY WEAPON YOU CAN FIND! Its also critically important to know that technology alone is not the ultimate weapon ... you need the intangibles that you can only achieve through faith and strength of character. YOU NEED THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS! Dont reject their prayers and good thoughts ... embrace them and add them to your arsenal. Its also important to remember that it is YOUR life and you should be involved in every decision an every level. Be your own best advocate! My fight is not over ... the radiation therapy section has been wrapped up and both my doctor and I are VERY pleased with the way things have gone. Now it is time to move onto the next battlefield. I will know more about that phase in about a month. We need to give some time for the radiation treatment to have full effect and for some of the potential side-effects to go away. Between now and then I will be learning as much as I can about the surgical procedure. Right now Im a total novice in this area ... I havent had any surgery since they took my tonsils out in the third grade. The only thing I remember about that was that I got ice cream. I have no idea about how long my recovery and rehab will take. When I meet with my surgeon, I will have a list of questions and his answers will be my guide to prepare for this adventure into the unknown. I will be taking some time off from doing my medical updates until its time for the surgery. If you have any questions or suggestions, just zap me a message and I will respond. You have been there for me ... I can never thank you enough for your prayers and thoughts. Hmm! Will I still get ice cream after the surgery?
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 00:58:16 +0000
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