The show must still go on .. Treatment #5
Just 3 hours after I managed to get to sleep this morning, it was time to wake up and begin this new adventure. If you recall, with the new cycle, I have to take steroids twice daily before each treatment to minimize side effects of the new chemotherapy drugs. And those things had me running around like the energizer bunny yesterday .. disinfecting, cooking, organizing, etc.. and up all night reading and binging.
I arrived at the hospital solo this morning. No entourage, as I would like to minimize the risk of infection to my family members during this time. The hospital is not the place to hang out these days. Theo dropped my off at 9am this morning; my appointments are early this cycle. I wasn’t expecting to see so many people in the lobby of the infusion center awaiting registration. But interestingly enough, there were more guests than patients. And let me tell you, some of these patients were not pleased with the new visitation policy which only allows 1 guest per patient. I mean, it’s common sense to me, but as the saying goes .. common sense ain’t that common. So much so that one of the patients had a 4 person crew with her. When the nurse advised that there could be only one guest, she became irate and insisted on going back with another male and younger person who I assume was the grand-daughter of the patient. After patiently clarifying the need for the policy change, the guest recanted and decided that she would just wait in the infusion center’s lobby Now, let me paint a picture for your guys.. The lobby is not that large. It can probably hold 10 people, and for good reason. They registration team has us registered and sent to the back for treatment in a matter of minutes; therefore there is no real need for a large lobby. But this guest decided that this was the best place for her and her daughter to wait for 4 hours .. even though there is a huge lobby right outside. So, after they took her mother back, she decided to take a seat … you guessed it - right next to me (and not next to her daughter who was in fact sitting in a double chair) I guess the other 8 seats that were unoccupied didn’t look too comfy to her. I politely turned to her and asked her to practice the recommended social distance guidance and move to another seat. She was shocked! Who was I to tell her where to sit? By this time the nurse had come to get me to take me to the back, and had overheard out conversation. She applauded me and said that while most people are being very cautious, there are some that just do not get it. Once I was taken to my infusion suite, the Charge Nurse came over and advised that she had sent a note to the front lobby advising that guests were not allowed to wait in the lobby for patients receiving treatment. In fact, the rules stated that once a guest is screened to accompany the patient, s/he can’t leave until the treatment is complete. No switching of guests either. I guest they had not assumed that folks would want to wait in the Infusion center lobby. I told her that sometimes you have to spell it out and make it plain for folks.
After my labs were complete, I got a visit from Dr. Shahin. In another measure to reduce the risk of infection, we aren’t allowed to visit Dr. Shahin’s office for appointments; instead he comes over to us. It limits the exposure to other patients and guests once we are checked into a controlled environment. We talk about the normal. (side effects, concerns, etc.) He asked me about my trip to New Orleans, and then we talk about key behaviors that I can exhibit to reduce the risk in the current environment.
No participation is large gatherings - this is consistent with the CDC’s guidelines on limiting interaction with groups greater than 50 (church, conferences, parties, movie theaters, concerts, malls, weddings, etc.) but interesting enough his guidelines to me were that it just isn’t worth being in a group of any size. A goup of 10 or 20 poses the same risk. People should take the guidelines as a means to change our behaviors. The goal of the guidelines is not for us to be out here taking headcount at events. It’s for us to consider whether the way we traditionally live is necessary in this current environment.
No gym. - Walk outside for fresh air instead or practice strength training exercise when I am home if I nave energy or interest.
No outside guests in my home - Keep my control environment as secure as possible. And for those that have to travel in my home (this would be Theo), make sure that we practice as much social distancing as possible when he returns from a flight.. especially after flying. Again, this is about reducing the risk
No restaurants - No matter how crowded, it’s best to just eat at home. Or consider takeout if I am tired of my own cooking. Takeout does not eliminate the risk, but it reduces it.
Remember to continue to wash hands and drink plenty of water.
Before we finished up, we revisited expectations for this week’s treatment and took our signature photo before treatment began.
Different times call for different measures .. Insert gloves and face mask 😜)
So, here goes nothing. I am hoping to be out of here by 2pm today.. we will see. And then I will be back daily through Friday. I am also hoping to get some sleep today once I return home. Naps are just like realistic while taking the supplemental meds. They come in every 30 minutes to check temp and Blood pressure. It takes me that long to fall asleep lol. Besides, I just took another steroid dose this morning, I don’t feel any sleepiness coming on.
In the meantime, I am sitting here thinking reflecting on a live stream church service that I participated in yesterday. It was entitled “I didn’t see it coming.” The pastor referenced Psalm 91 to support his message:
“1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble,I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
What I got from the word and message is this:
We didn’t see this coming ... and when you don’t have time to prepare, all you can do is react. It would have been nice to know at the start of the year that we would have this coming in March. But the psalmist tells us that we need to start encouraging ourselves. “Whoever dwells in the shelter of most high will rest in the shadow of the almighty. I will say of the Lord that he is the refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” This does not mean that everything will be perfect. This does not mean that we should ignore the pandemic that has reached us globally. But it does not mean that I will not panic and I will not act in fear. In the midst of everything that I’m going through, there will be a sense of internal peace. What’s outside does not and WILL NOT destroy what’s inside. Even though i didn’t see this coming, my faith keeps my peace on the inside. In the times where we are being asked to self quarantine and limit interactions with large groups of people, it may seem that you don’t have a place to run for sanctuary. However, in these same times, I find sanctuary in knowing that I have a God that keeps me inwardly safe. His peace surpasses all understanding. And this unbridled confidence that what’s on the outside won’t mess with what’s on the inside is also the message that others see. If you practice this, it will also cause others to question how you manage to keep a smile on your face with all the craziness that’s going on. Your leadership in the midst of what’s going on matters! No, it doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It doesn’t mean that you are not following instructions and using the common sense that God has given to you. But it does mean that you believe in the God of yesterday because He is the God of today and tomorrow. This too shall pass my friends.
❤️ T
