Radiation Therapy - Week FIVE

DAY TWO

It's amazing how easy life can become 'routine'.

I mean, if you enter a phase in your life where most days are very similar in terms of expectations, people that you encounter, and routine that is observed; then you either become accustomed to the routine in which case it often fades into the background; or at times you can simply become an observer watching life go by; but there is another option ... let me give you an example.

To date, I have been attending the Oncology Department for 5 weeks. In this time I have spent a lot of time 'waiting' and enduring the often monotonous routine of hospital outpatient life.

For example: staff racing around attending to any number of important, and sometimes urgent, tasks. Patients coming and going; most with 'glum faces' and the rest with stoic looks that almost demanded: 'Please don't talk to me'!

While I have been waiting, I have resisted the urge to become like those described above, and have passed the time by 'deliberately' getting to know the other patients. I have also 'gone out of my way' to memorise their names as well as the names of ALL the staff.

This has helped me to pass the time constructively engaging with the 'world around me'! I want to focus on 'living'; whatever time I have left, rather than anticipating and fixating on how soon I will die! This has been sorely tested at times when at first others misunderstand your genuine attempts to simply 'be friendly'. However, I have persisted.

The outcome?

Recently many of the other patients have begun to comment on: 'how nice it is' that we have all become friends! The staff have commented on: 'what a great group we are'! Little did I expect however, where all this might lead!

Today, my determination to live and engage with life and those around me took on almost 'comical' proportions! Let me paint you a picture...

'Mary' (a fellow patient) arrives. Mary is a little confused. She is running late! Mary sits down and mutters: 'what am I supposed to do'? Well ... being a 'friend' and a keen observer of the almost changeless routine ... I speak up.

'Mary, don't forget to ask Helen of Judy (nurses) for your meds. You have to have them 15 minutes before your treatment'! Mary of course thanked me for the reminder and toddled off, wondering: 'how on earth did he know that'?

Upon reaching the nurses station, Mary has forgotten about her meds but has remembered that she has not yet seen the doctor this week and begins 'insisting' on seeing him! The nurse checks Mary's chart and finds no mention of a doctor's appointment; puzzled [and very busy] she passes on the responsibility to the new NUM!

The NUM (only her first day on the job) is sporting a worried look as she passes me, when I blurt out: 'excuse me, I might be able to help'. To which the new NUM responds: 'Please do'.

'Well first of all Mary was scheduled to see her doctor yesterday as part of her regular weekly review; but he was away - so there is no urgency. But since Mary has only two more days until her treatment finishes she's a little fixated on the thought that she might not see her doctor at all'!

'But more importantly, for the moment; Mary hasn't had her 'pain-killer' which she has to take 15 minutes prior to her treatment! Oh, and you might ask Helen and Judy to keep an eye on her she's a little confused today'!

The NUM's response was: 'Oh ... thanks John, it would have taken me quite a while to unravel all that; you've saved me a lot of time'!

Now this is not the end of the story ... several other occurences saw me offer support to either the patients or the staff, too many to mention here though.


Now I know that I took a real risk at 'interacting' in this fashion; but, I firmly believe, that if there are no risks in life ... there is ... NO life!

Oh, and by the way my own treatment went very well today as did the trip back to work and the remainder of my shift.


'Excuse me ... ahh .. if I can butt in for a moment; I noticed that you've been paging Margy (the AIN) for some time. You'll find her in the canteen in the main building ... she's taking an early lunch...'!

'Oh thanks again John, you've been so very helpful today'!