It’s 3:30pm and my Chemo 3 infusion is over. The whole charade began around 9:30am at Dr. K.’s office and, despite being as long as a coast-to-coast flight, the day felt as quick as opening and closing my eyes.
Front desk check-in, vitals (still no getting on the scale for this chemo patient!), blood cell count, nausea meds and then the real drip —chemo drug 1, chemo drug 2, first immunotherapy piece and then the last one.
Can I run to the bathroom before the next drug? —I asked one of the nurses?
If you give me just a second, you will actually be done —she replied.
You mean done-done? —I asked surprised.
Yes, you are done with this chemo round.
I raised my eyebrows (yes, I still have eyebrows!) and smiled. The chemo infusion had gone by so fast!
This got me thinking (once again), because there is always a good excuse to do some thinking…
Halfway into my chemo treatment —today was number three of six— I may have officially embraced this chemo journey. And perhaps that is why chemo sessions seem to flow so fast.
In the beginning, there was anxiety and lots of questions as I was getting to know the unknown which had been imposed upon me. With three sessions down, lots of answers and the wisdom of my own experience, I got the hang of it. Anxiety is fading away (albeit, with ups and downs).
And I begin to realize chemo sessions are not the end goal of the journey.
The end goal of the journey is what lies beyond.
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