I HATE CANCER!

This week overwhelmed me and got me really down! I started radiation treatment which was difficult at first but doable. Thanks to the support of Brenda the first day and Choni the next three days, I managed to adjust to the fact that I would be going every weekday for the next 7 weeks. The routine is not so bad since Lankenau Hospital is near my house. In fact, I decided to drive myself instead of bothering volunteering friends to drive me. Although I appreciate the offer and would love the company, it is not really necessary since I am not feeling any of the side effects yet. If I do, I promised to let Choni know and she will get the “Driving Miss Linda” patrol in action!!

My husband Norm is dealing with prostrate cancer and is having proton therapy in October when I am finished my radiation. (I call us the Cancer Couple) He needed a procedure done at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania on Monday in preparation for his therapy. On Wednesday morning at 3 AM he woke me up in excruciating pain, called his doctor and went to Lankenau Hospital’s emergency room. At 5 AM he came back with antibiotics and a diagnosis of a urinary tract infection but no fever. By noon he had 101! He called his doctors at HUP who told him to come down to their emergency room where he stayed all day until 6 PM when they told him they would admit him to the hospital for at least 2 days until Friday. A friend of ours drove me down to bring Norman some things and to take home his car.

By Thursday afternoon the culture from Lankenau revealed that the virus was E coli! Now infectious disease doctors were on the case because the antibiotics they were giving him were not doing the job. That evening they gave him a stronger one and they were culturing the virus to see exactly what they were dealing with. Now they say he will be in the hospital until Monday and go home with a PICC line (corrected thanks to Cousin Bruce) with a visiting nurse to give him intravenous antibiotics for two weeks. This is a serious virus he got from the hospital procedure!! He is really sick, especially when his fever spikes. It is very stressful to me. It is bad enough that you have cancer. Do you have to suffer from the procedures that are supposed to make you better??

The last and saddest event of the week is that our dear friend Barry Stieglitz, of blessed memory, died on Thursday after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Barry handled his disease with grace and intelligence. He was a role model for me- deal with what come and do it with grace. As a scientist, he did research and got into many trials and programs. My education was in the social sciences, so I go to Facebook and Twitter and blog. Other than organic chemistry, I would do very well to emulate a fine, caring person like Barry who will be missed by all who knew him.

Getting ready to spend Friday and Saturday at the Penn Tower at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania since I do not drive on the Sabbath. It is right across the street from the hospital. After a major meltdown, losing things, misplacing major things, running too late to get things done that I needed to do, etc, I think I am ready to go and relax and enjoy Sabbath with Norman.

I hope the hotel room is really nice because I could use a little luxury right now!!!