Sorry for the repost but I realize that what I post on my page around memories of Patti, I should be posting from her memorial page. So I may be going back a few months of posts on my page just to keep all of these together. I’ll get this Facebook thing figured out at some point but thanks for your understanding. A year ago this day, there was a bright spot in Patti’s chemo treatments that I would like to share. It was the last session in the first of six rounds of her chemo treatments. We were at AK Oncology and she was getting settled in…nurses were preparing her IV…I had to walk away for those moments (I don’t do well with needles) and I noticed someone we knew on the other side of the room. It was our long time friend, Henry Schreiber…”Hank”…he was there for his chemo treatments. Hank had been battling brain cancer for about 19 months up to that point. Patti and Hank were co-workers from Continental Motors. (Hank worked there for 7 years during Patti’s 24 years with the company) We all became good friends, stayed in touch and did things together on a regular basis. I greeted him with a big hug and told him that Patti was here for her treatment as well. Hank was very excited to see her and he surprised Patti at her station…the look on both their faces was priceless with hugs and tears…all sorts of emotions were pouring from each other. Once Hank got settled in, they sat next to each other while receiving their treatments. While each of them was receiving their doses of chemo and other IV’s, they didn’t once talk about their cancer or the chemo…they just talked…about anything and everything…just like they were meeting for coffee. For the next three hours, their cancer didn’t exist to them. Their time together took them away from the shit storm both of them were going through, no drug or treatment on the planet could do that. I didn’t say much during the whole time but enjoyed listening to them talk and laugh. I felt privileged to witness their positive karma…even the Nursing staff noticed it as well. It was a priceless moment in time for them to feel normal…as normal as they could be. When their treatment was over, they hugged and said good bye but for the rest of that day, Patti smiled alittle more and had an extra skip in her step. She talked about how seeing Hank helped her get through that session and how cool it would be to have their treatments together. That was the last time Hank and Patti spoke to each other. Fortunately, Hank was able to come and see Patti in the hospital just before she passed. He told me how much that time together at AK oncology meant to him…and I told him how much that equally meant to Patti afterwards as well. Hank passed away about a month and a half after Patti did. I haven’t shared that memory with very many until now. It is a clear bright spot in this fog around me that shows how much of an impact friends or family can make. Another lesson “in” life.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 05:31:35 +0000
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