"Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed" -MaryOliver

I finished my last radiation treatment on Friday, and met some of the most amazing people during my two weeks of treatment.

The team of radiation technicians that worked with me were incredible.  Brit, Michael, Jessica, and Brandy - they made me smile every day and are such a blessing to so many people.  When dealing with a disease as serious as cancer, it is incredibly uplifting to be surrounded by such positive attitudes.  I had been showing Jessica my "feet pictures" throughout the week and on my last day, I asked for a picture of all of our feet together.   Jessica knew why I was asking, but you should have seen the confused look on Michael's face.  He seemed to relax after I said he didn't have to take off his shoes!

I met Kayah who is the cutest little girl you've ever seen.  She is five years old and was there everyday with her entire family - Mom, Dad, baby sister, Grandmother, and Grandfather.  She may have been there for treatment, but in her eyes, she was there for the puzzles! There were two tables in the waiting room with puzzles and we all took turns working on them while we were waiting for our treatment.  Kayah and I worked on one together and she giggled everytime she found a piece that fit.  If her treatment time came too quickly, she always came back afterwards for more puzzle time.  I completed my treatment before our puzzle was finished, but I am sure that she won't quit until it's done.

 

There was another little girl who had her treatment immediately following mine.  She was being treated for some form of brain cancer and had to be sedated during her treatment so that she would be totally still during the short, ten minute, treatment.  We both got to the Med Center at the same time and I would see her shuffling up the sidewalk following her parents into the main entrance of the Cancer Institute.  She was always wearing pink flip-flops, had a pink flowered blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and wore a pink and yellow baseball hat. She finished her treatment as I was waiting to see the doctor and I heard the technicians gently waking her up.  As soon as she opened her eyes, everyone starting cheering and clapping for her.  Her parents were grinning from ear to ear and applause echoed through the hallways.  Friday was her last treatment also and she would not have to come back for any more treatments for the next six months. 

 

I met an elderly farmer's wife who spent time talking with her husband about which fields needed to be plowed that week.  I overheard her exclaiming "you spent how much for that goat?"  I just loved listening to them.  His old calloused hand rested across her shoulder and she smiled every time she looked at him.  There was no question that they are still very much in love.

 

There were many others that I met and despite our different ages, backgrounds, and conditions, we had one thing in common..... we chose to laugh!!

 

Inspirational Board at Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute Radiation Oncology Department