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A tribute to the truly resilient people
When cancer invades
I accompanied my uncle to his radiation treatment this morning. He has an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The prognosis is encouraging, but by no means secure.
It is obviously a stressful time for he and my aunt. To give her a break and some time to herself, I offered to take him for his treatments a few times a week. They have done so much for me over the years, it is the least I can do to help.
I picked him up and we made the half-hour trip to the hospital. Along the way, we chatted about the usual topics — weather, sports, family, and bitching about politics. But this time it felt different. We were also choosing what not to talk about, which was the cancer inside of him threatening to take over his life.
At the hospital, we checked in at the main desk. My uncle has done this every day for two weeks, so it was now very routine. I followed him down the hallways and elevators leading to the radiation department.
When we arrived at the waiting area, two men were sitting there — one was middle-aged and the other was elderly. I presumed it was the son bringing his father for treatment.
My uncle playfully greeted them with “Good morning, boys”. It was apparent they, like my uncle, had become regulars there.
