MEET THE DOCTOR

THE TIME HAD COME to meet the doctor yesterday, the one who's in charge of Mr. Bob's radiation program. I have a great fear of medical men. So when I end up responding favorably to a doctor it's a very good sign.

 And Dr. Andrew Suen passed the test.

He was extremely personable, friendly, eager to answer any and all questions (even ones pertaining to my condition). What a relief!

The nurse, Sylvia, was equally attentive and when I enquired about her family, told me that 3 years ago she had been bedridden for 8 solid months with a mystery illness, with her son in the next bedroom with a broken leg and a husband out of work, but she overcame her back problems and one just doesn't know, does one, what other people weather in the way of challenging life situations?

 The day previous I had gone in to meet the doctor but important phone calls prevented him from seeing us. It had been a struggle to get my tired body into the waiting room from my usual place parked at the curb (taking pictures of passersby) and I tried to hide my disappointment at the need to do it all over again the next day. Sylvia was so empathic and solicitous, even holding the door open for us as we left that I went to the car and had a complete meltdown for no apparent reason at all. Out of the blue, I found myself out of control. I tell you this only because it would be wrong to appear that we're sailing through all this in an unflappable manner. We aren't. We have our moments, but it had been a long time since I'd cried without being able to stop. 


I maneuvered us home and then had to sit in the parking lot for an hour trying to get on top of the emotion and to Mr. Bob's credit, he stayed at my side even though I urged him to go ahead to our room.


Yesterday I told Sylvia it might be better not to be nice to me. And I met the doctor and I liked him and everything became rosy again.




“Tears are words the heart can't express”