Life and Death

Life and Death

Monday, February 12, 2007

Today was a painful day. We returned to Duke on Monday for my 28th treatment. When we got back to the Caring House here at Durham, we learned that one of the residents had passed away over the week end. It was very heartrending information for Patsy and me because we had befriended the family involved. It was time to leave for the hospital for my treatment, so we had to get on with our lives while feeling sad for the loss of one of our friends.

It is sometimes hard to believe, but life continues despite our loss. At dinner tonight about five residents were sitting around the table and eating their meals. Of these five people, four were cancer patients and the other was a spouse. Believe it or not, they were joking, laughing, eating, and keeping a positive attitude. They were finding humorous things in life to talk about and making plans for their future. All of these people will complete their treatments within the next two weeks. They cannot wait to resume their normal lives!

The Caring House has many activities planned for the residents this week. It must be because of Valentine’s Day. Monday was board game night. Tuesday, we will have movie night. I can’t wait to see what they will pick for us to watch. Will it be action, western, or romance? Wednesday will be a big Valentine supper, with all types of food. Thursday we all plan to go out to eat supper at a local restaurant; that will be about 20-30 people.

If you are thinking, why are they always talking about eating? Cancer patients must keep their strength and weight up. The radiation oncologists do not want us to lose weight because our bodies need all the strength to fight the cancer. The radiation and chemotherapy require the body to use a lot of energy to overcome the toxins that are destroying the bad cells as well as the good cells. Therefore, most people lose weight without a large caloric increase. I have maintained my weight and enjoyed doing it!