Progress Report 17

Last week I visited Jim LaValle my naturopathic and homeopathic pharmacist to check on things and report on my progress. It is the first time I see him since the clean scan and of course he was thrilled. Jim’s job is to keep my body balanced and had been helping me boost my immune system and resist the side effects of the drugs. and even though i take only about half of what he really wants me to take (I am not very good with pills), I know that whatever he has me on works because when I get complacent and stop taking the pills I can feel myself getting sluggish. It may be all in my head but then again isn’t everything in life?
Monday – treatment day- was a pretty hectic day. I woke up early to get some work done for a meeting I had scheduled later that afternoon and Sharbel was also leaving to return to California around the same time. Thank God for our Karim’s excellent airport shuttle and courier service. At the clinic things were backed up a bit and it seemed they had as hectic of a morning as I did, still the nurses were as sweet and light hearted as usual. I think they are made of a different special breed,that God created with an extra dose of patience, love and compassion. My blood count is back up after last week’s break from the chemo so I was all set to go. I quizzed Randy on what’s next. I am taking the next two weeks off going to Hilton Head for some natural universal health care, and attending a wedding in Baltimore for another refill of love and joy before returning to the last round of four treatments. Then he wants a scan. I was hoping not to have to do another one so soon but he explained that on this plan I will get one every three month. No negotiation there either. I know if the roles were reversed I would be advising you to get the scan too but my reluctance has less to do with the fear of what maybe then with my faith and certitude that all is and will remain well. But I understand that Randy won’t take my word for it so I will follow the instructions. At the suite all was pretty much routine, a fairly quick treatment again with just the reduced doses of pre-meds and chemo only. I was seated between two older women who had their seats fully reclined, covered with a light blanket and napping. Seriously, for a minute it felt once again as if I was in first class on a plane, with the nurses constantly dotting on us asking if we need anything. As I was almost done the woman to my right woke up and looked at her IV bag. She has quite a bit to go. She was receiving taxol a chemo that is so toxic, one can develop a strong reaction so they drip it very slowly. It takes three hours. I know because I had it two years ago. “Did it work for you?” The woman asked me. It was an awkward moment. Here I am back at a chemo suite so one would think that the obvious answer would have been no. But I was also in that split second fully aware of what my words could mean to her, as so many words from others had meant to me and I wanted to leave her with hope and assurance not disappointment and worry, so my answer was a forceful “Yes”, “it worked on what it was supposed to work on, and the cancer I am here for is gone too, you will be alright”. It was the truth. This last occurance was different, the biopsy was non conclusive and was thought to have been a possible mutation. I left to get on with my busy afternoon and get ready to take off on Wednesday for vacation.
Until the next time
Much love
nevine