As I sat in the waiting room at the Cancer Care Clinic where Mr. Grinch goes for his chemo treatments, I found myself sadly amazed at how many other people were in there. What struck me about all those other people though was how matter of fact they were. It wasn't a waiting room filled with despair as one might think. Instead it was a waiting room filled with hope.
Dr. Scott, one of our many doctors now, showed us the results of his latest blood test, and explained what those results meant. He was very pleased with how well Mr. Grinch is handling the chemo treatments. Except for one level that has to do with the blood thinner he is on, all we heard was that everything good was where it should be. Dr. Scott made a minor medication adjustment on the blood thinner that should get that level back to where they want it.
We are learning the chemo treatment ropes. Drinking plenty of fluids, and eating is encouraged during treatments. As soon as he is settled in and the chemicals begin dripping into the port in his chest, I go over to Walgreens to grab some Gatorade and snacks for us. I noticed nearly all of the other patients have those ports in their chests to make administering the medication easier.
It was a busy day at the Clinic, with most of the treatment chairs being in use. As I watched the nurse administering treatments, smiling and joking with her patients, I wondered for a few seconds how she handled it. Then I realized that like everyone else there, no matter what the prognosis, we were all buying time, and hope drop by drop.
