In Other Words with Dave

Every week, I get asked the same questions. Any changes to your insurance? Your address? Your medication? Have we had any falls? Any other changes we need to know about? I know the drill. As I stood there, I thought, yes, there have been significant changes. 

I got a new stove this week. I am very happy with it. Laura, the medical appointment scheduler, tells me she just put in a new dishwasher – she loves it. We chat about how happy we are with our new appliances as an unappreciative line of patients begins to form behind me. Time to move on. I’m all checked in. Onto bloodwork. 

As Peter draws my blood, we usually talk about his children, car stuff, or the Kansas City Chiefs. We’ve been relationship-building for years – one blood vial at a time. 

When you have weekly cancer treatments for three years you get to know the nurses, PAs, doctors, and those awesome volunteers who hand out the snacks and sandwiches. And they get to know you. This place has kind of become my Cheers bar of chemo treatments. 

Honestly, I will miss it. Next month I complete my current treatment plan and having achieved continued remission, I will be starting a maintenance program. That means I will be visiting less frequently. I have to say, there is some sadness there. So for now, I will say thank you to my treatment team, but I hope to see you all much, much less – and I say that in a loving, caring way.