The Apple Orchard: exhale

The Apple Orchard

musings, chronicles, commentaries, bitchins & ramblins of a lost, but lovin 40 somethin year old soul...come take a bite

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

exhale

I thank God that my sister was with me this morning. Walking into the doctor's office was emotionally overwhelming. 95% of everyone in the office was a cancer patient. I didn't expect this, honestly I didn't know what to expect, but this put me over the edge. I went to the front desk, I gave them my name and they handed me the new patient packet. I looked for my sister, she had saved me a seat next to her. I looked at her and my eyes began to well up. She took my hand and sat me down.

I exhaled....

I tried to write, but my hands were shaking...

I exhaled...

I began to fill out all of the information....Mayra would look at me and rub my back.

I looked around the room. Cancer sure doesn't discriminate I thought. Black, white, Hispanic, old, young, short, tall *SIGH* they all sat there waiting for there name to be called so they could check their blood count and go across the hall for their dose of chemotherapy.

I exhaled...

The woman sitting directly in front of me, was smiling at me. She couldn't have been older than me. She told me to take things one day at a time. She shared with Mayra and I her struggle with leukemia. She's living with it, not dying with it...those were her words.

I exhaled...

I got up and handed in my packet and sat back down. A couple of seconds later my name was called. I was sent to the lab. There waiting for me was this smiling face ready to prick and probe the hell outta me all while doing it all with a 'smile'. Cary was her name and while we chatted she did what she had to do, and I didn't even realize that she had already drawn 3 tubes of blood, pricked my ring finger and was placing my blood on slides. I chuckled and told her she was the 'bestest' because I didn't have time to cringe.

I exhaled...

I am sent back out into the waiting room. My sister is sipping on some cafe. I'm just about to get a cup of cafe for myself, when they call my name to meet with the doctor.

I exhaled...

I am greeted by Marjorie, she's my doctors assistant, a distinguished looking older woman, sweet demeanor, I liked her instantly. She weighed me, 140 lbs; measured me, 5'4"; took my blood pressure and my body temperature.

I exhaled...

I got up from my seat and looked out the window....it was a beautiful day in Miami. There was a knock at the door, it was Dr. Wollach. He asked me come into his office, he felt it was better if we spoke there.

I exhaled...

I sat down, looked around at all of his credentials on the wall. Graduate of Penn State Medical School; State Board Certified and a collector of clowns. There were clowns everywhere! I was totally at ease, at peace with this man which I had never met before.

I exhaled...

He began to ask questions. First and foremost, family medical history...jotted things down while I shared my story. Once all the 'niceities' were out of the way, he got down to the nitty gritty. My blood work and what it meant, and what had to be done.

I exhaled...

My platelet levels are high...I just didn't know how high. 665 must be high enough, I guess, for him to want to do a bone marrow biopsy.

I exhaled...

BUT first I also seem to be a wee bit anemic, and he wants to deal with that first, before he does anything else. I sat there, listened and took notes of everything he said. I didn't want to forget anything. I will be taking iron supplements, along with a stool softener in between....because a chica will be getting constipated so to speak! LOL LOL Once my anemia is under control, the bone marrow biopsy will be done.

I exhaled...

I smiled, and I thanked him for his straightforwardness and bedside manner. I truly felt that my prayers for a G.R.E.A.T. doctor were answered. I knew we would work great together...I had that gut feeling. Dr. Wollach printed out a copy of my results and handed them to me...told me not to go crazy 'googling' what this all meant. I laughed, because that was exactly what I planned on doing the minute I got home. He shook me hand and walked me towards the front desk. Said that the girls had to draw blood one last time before I left. Told me to come back in three weeks, and we would then discuss what had to be done.

I exhaled...

I paid my co-pay and sat down. The nurse called my name and this time drew two tubes of blood. I thanked her for being so gentle and said adios.

I exhaled...

I walked out and there was Mayra reading a magazine waiting for me. I told her 'come on' let's go get something to eat, my treat. She smiled. We were starving. We went to my favorite Cuban restaurant and I had comfort food...'sopa de plantano verde' green plantain soup. T

*SIGH*

What a day...

The boys came home and asked how my visit to the doctor went. I shared every little detail with them. They both sat around me and just held and kissed me. I told them that we will go through this together and it can only be done one day at a time. We won't know everything in one sitting, this will take a process and we all have to be ready for anything.

I exhaled...

I'm home, in my safe haven.

Besos mi gente...

posted by MsApples @ 4:47:00 PM

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