The shaman made it back to the IV room this AM, after a month’s hiatus. This began the fourth and last round of Chemo. It was much as he remembered it. The only difference was that his recliner was now set well away from the Pit of Oblivion, and much closer to an edifice at the far end of the room. Straining his eyes, he found that this was a pillar onto which hung a bell with a pull rope. He was later to find out that the parting ritual in the IV Infusion Room was that patients got to ring the bell when their treatment was complete. If the shaman had ever heard this bell rung, he did not remember.
It was not long before the attendant had his 2-cycle IV pump putt-putting along.
When that bell is rung, the applause is loud and memorable! I heard it, often, during "The Warden"s first bout. She missed the second time, as she was not in infusion, but hospitalized - and was freed on a Saturday. It still slightly bothers her that she didn't get to "ring the bell" the second go-round. But, she's been FREE for nearly 5 years, now, thank God!
I've always been a curmudgeon - now I'm an old curmudgeon. ~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
I had a visit from Mo, the pharmacist. She's a fiesty thing, and one of my favorites.
She was glad to see me in such good shape this AM.She'd been monitoring my progress through the last month. I take it the tale of the test results painted a rather dark view of things. She's been in conference with the oncologist. They're possibly plotting to give my kidneys a rest and have me knock off on Thursday instead of Friday. I guess last month I found out what "too-sick to be scared" is like. Funny, but I didn't notice it seriously affecting my improvising skills. I was making the nurses laugh all the way through.
The IV attendant had me moved to the COVID Oubliette. As Flip Wilson used to say: "In the corner, in the back, in the dark." I've got a private room all to myself today. I found out they're still worried I might be able to transmit the disease, even though I had a negative test on 7/4. It's fine. I'm not worried and I can miss all the hijinks. Some days around here, it's like the freakin' leper section at the Pool of Bethesda. I 'd go to strike up a conversation with the wretch in the next recliner and find out the wretch has nothing left under the COVID mask. That certainly makes things awkward.
Moose brought me a sandwich from Jimmy John's. That's the best part of having a couple extra weeks off from the Bug Juice: my appetite came back. I had Lee's Famous Recipe Dead Fried Chicken last night. This isn't my favorite, but I darn near hurled an order of Popeye's two weeks ago. Things are improving.
When that bell is rung, the applause is loud and memorable! I heard it, often, during "The Warden"s first bout. She missed the second time, as she was not in infusion, but hospitalized - and was freed on a Saturday. It still slightly bothers her that she didn't get to "ring the bell" the second go-round. But, she's been FREE for nearly 5 years, now, thank God!
Amen to that... "The Warden" who I just call JOY and she is such Joy to be around....
you have a wonderful wife Mark....
and she deserves you as you are a darn good husband from what I've seen of ya...
"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC
“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
