The Team

The very first time I met my radiation team was in my hospital room the day after surgery. They were moving me from my bed to a backboard and to another bed. This bed transported me to another part of the hospital where they began taking x-rays and marking spots for my upcoming 5 weeks of treatment.

I spent most of that day feeling like I was watching myself in a Hallmark movie...that it couldn't be real...but I couldn't find the remote to change the channel.

On that same day I bonded a little with these people. They were very focused and spoke mostly in numbers but despite their mission they smiled at me a lot. There were several of them revolving around me in constant motion, but no matter what they were focused on, they made sure to provide me with a reassuring touch. As I stared at the ceiling I could feel someone pat my arm or squeeze my hand or brush my forehead.

As I moved through treatment we began having fun together....yes, I just said fun...
There was Mike and his quirky music...Jude and his sense of humor..Jean and her brilliant ability to take the fear out of everything and make you wish you could stay a bit longer. And there was Kathy who always was the first to greet you by name and the other Jean who smiled and cared about every detail and even sat with mom to help with the puzzle.

These amazing people became the "team". I had many rounds of radiation with the "team". Then one day I came to see Dr Lee and the "team" was gone.

Due to a bunch of contracts and decisions that I know nothing about, the "team" was moving to a different location and began to split up. That has made this round of radiation more of a struggle. Oh both Jeans are there and that soothes my troubled heart, but the "team" is no more and I feel vulnerable. I am back in the Hallmark movie where everything is strange again. I take that back. It is more like a dream because J.P. is there now too, and in what world does cancer, friends, strangers, treatment and J.P. Patches exist together. Ya, it's a dream.