Jim and Hal circa early 70’s.
Tracey was given some excellent advice early on in the Chemotherapy game. If someone is interested in taking Jim to chemo take them up on the offer.
I suggest you do the same.
Having someone take me to the weekly treatment not only frees up Tracey’s time but it gives someone else an opportunity to feel like they are providing support and gives me the chance to connect deeply with someone I love.
My chemo Sherpa for the last 6 months has been my oldest brother Hal. He picks me up 90 minutes before the session, we grab a coffee (chai) and head to the hospital. The walk up the hill is always a good test of energy levels for both of us and is somehow a great barometer of our past week as it’s usually when we start catching up on each others happenings.
There are a few competitive traditions we love to pursue, with the first being the weekly trivia question. Used to be that Tracey would always be right, but alas now Hal knows all the answers.
The next brotherly competition is of course the ‘blood pressure guessing game’, which Hal wins every time as well.
Hal’s a winner either way you look at it. Just ask him. Actually the inside joke is that he says he wins each time and the poor nurses somehow believe him every week.
Actually I’m the real winner and I’ve loved that we have had a chemo date every Thursday for such a long time. Sadly my Chemosabe is leaving for the winter in Belize so I’m on the hunt for his replacement in 2019. Must have a drivers license, be able to hike a hill, drink a coffee in the afternoon, be good at trivia and able to make random guesses seem accurate. Oh and super helpful if you can watch me for the first five minutes of infusion to make sure I don’t have a bad reaction and perish. Sorry, small requirement.
Thanks Hal, it’s been a blast. See you in the spring.
PS here are shots of Hal and I distributing beer to the nurses at our last visit.
