Chemo Day 2 Set 1

Today was much like yesterday. Jeff took a seat...I guess we haven't described the "Infusion Center" yet. It's a long rectangular room with large windows all the way around and about 10-12 reclining rocking type chairs lining the outsides of the room. I hear that they are immensely comfortable.

There is a folding table by each chair, along with the intravenous unit, and small TVs with DVD players on dressers for patients. The dressers have open shelves with magazines and books. Along the right hand wall is a small beverage dispenser, Coke, Diet Coke Sprite and next to that a really cold water dispenser. There is coffee all day in the waiting room and the door to the "nerve center" stays open all the time. There is an "openness" that I didn't expect to find there.

The nurses station is a also along the right long side of the rectangle all one large window to be able to view patients while "mixing" their medicines. And unlike the hospital that keeps your IV machine beeping forever before you get attention, those nurses are right on it. They keep things moving and I guess that's the name of the game. People don't want to be there any longer than they have to.

Our doctor makes mini visits to all his patients throughout the hours we're there and you can see him remember things he wanted to ask as he cues in on you from across the room. His nurser practitioner said and I'm not sure why the other day that he's the type of doctor who is always thinking of his patients, their treatments, changes that need to be considered to the point that he looses sleep over them.

...in the far right hand corner that has a view of the whole room and through the bank of windows that looks out onto pine trees. Jeff's thinking of bringing binoculars and studying a little ornithology. We got some water to start with instead of waiting for his mouth to get dry today. I could tell this time he was getting very tired.

Today when we got there, there was an elderly Caucasian couple where Willie and his wife had been the day before. We exchanged smiles and while Jeff was doing some paperwork, I started to read the Office. When I opened my prayer book, the lady asked me if I was reading my Revelations? I said sort of, but it was the prayers of the day, Christian prayer. And she said "Oh, I saw you make the sign of the Cross, only Catholics do that." I said "You're right, and I am Catholic." She asked me if I knew St. Pius X Church. I smiles and said I knew it well as it's been my Church family for 11 years and I work there.

Well we chatted on and off from there, until her medicine kicked in and she had to lay on her side and nap. With her husband who is the sweetest old man. He looked like a good breeze would knock him down, but the way he loving laid the cover on her legs and tried to tuck in her feet you would have thought he was a pillar of strength. She has lymphoma and it's everywhere.

I'm trying to live the adage you might have seen on my desk before" life is 5% how you make it and 95% how you take it." I might have shared with you my new philosophy of trying to see the grace in each moment. Watching the tenderness expressed even in the simple act of him feeding her snacks was heart wrenching and marriage affirming all at the same time.

Today I watched a mature love, a love that had bore children, raised them, provided and cared for their family and each other. A love that time can't change except to make sweeter. Walter is devoted to Eva and Walter is Eva's whole world - it's utterly beautiful.

I'm falling asleep at the keys again... Good night!