n. We were closest to our clients and patients there, and every victory meant so much more for the lower expectations that the very work "cancer" gives us. Oncologists get the most cards and gift baskets, the most hugs, the most tears. I can only imagine how many times multiplied that is when it's human patients, and again when it's children.
One of my patients on Oncology was a Hearing Ear dog for a young woman. He would let her know when the phone rang or there was a knock at the door, wake her up if the alarm or smoke detector went off, and remained her faithful companion in a world of silence that inevitably kept her apart from the greater hearing society. He underwent radiation therapy five days a week throughout my rotation, and was one of the happiest dogs I ever worked with.
More and more cancers can be cured, or at least put into remission for long periods of time. The "C-word" isn't quite the gut-clencher it was, and sometimes it's effectively a chronic disease, like diabetes or arthritis. But when it's bad, it can be so very bad....
We are taught over and over that in cases like that, it's Quality Of Life that is the most important factor, that keeping them happy and getting something out of living is more important than simply adding days on the calendar. These pictures really help illustrate how different a question QOL is for human beings, who have the ability to understand what is happening and yet can still choose to fight, to live longer even when it's a life of pain, and still , miraculously, smile and love and comfort others who sometimes seem to hurt more than they do.
Our brains can be a curse sometimes, but they are so much more often a blessing, even when it's a blessing bathed in our tears. This young man has touched so many lives, and I'm glad that his gift is being spread far and wide. |
