Today one of the nurses learned it is near impossible to win a game of “Guess My Age” with my parents.
The second day of my final cycle passed in about as uneventful a way as the rest.
My oncologist dropped by again this morning, funnily enough while I was in the middle of reading his book. It provided a lovely starting point for our chat, not that we need that sort of thing though.
Today also marked another milestone as it was the final time that I received the “full” treatment of my chemotherapy, meaning all three drugs. Tomorrow will mark the bulk of the inpatient stay completed, Monday will be my last full day at the hospital, and on Tuesday I’ll be home by the evening. Little by little, we are ticking each box off.
My parents came to visit this afternoon and thus had the pleasure of meeting one of the most friendly and chatty nurses on this floor (which is quite the achievement, let me tell you). Noticing my upcoming 30th birthday, he commented how he struggled turning 30 himself.
Hearing this, my dad brought out one of his many tried-and-tested replies and asked the nurse how he thought he felt at his age. This reply is calculated and diabolical in that its only purpose is to pressure the conversation partner into asking my father how old he is. To that question, he gleefully replies “75”, already anticipating the dropped jaw, bulging eyes, and comments along the lines of “You don’t look like that AT ALL”.
My mum tends to not participate in this sharade and prefers to roll her eyes at me if I happen to glance over. However, the nurse – now visibly intrigued – directly asked her how old she was. When she truthfully responded with 71, it became clear to me that I could now probably get this nurse on board with my conspiracy theory that my parents at some point stumbled upon the Fountain of Youth and made some sort of pact to take that secret to the grave with them.
Visitors are once again proving to be the most vital component of my wellness strategy for these hospital stays. Yesterday I had both my parents and a friend of mine here, the latter of which even brought me a most thoughtful gift in the form of a foaming shower gel to mitigate the olfactory overload of the hospital environment.
We’re moving along calmly, confidently, and with a settled mind, just as we did during the previous two cycles. And soon, it will be done.
May you all be healthy and happy wherever you are in the world. I’ll see you in the next one.
just thoughts 