MDA has a feature that allows me to access my clinic schedule by logging on to my account there. It really works quite well with one exception - it is expected that you monitor it almost daily all the time and more frequently, like now, when I know there are events being scheduled. They called and said they were going to start the testing schedule on the 15th. There is no request like, "Does the15th at 1:00 work for you?". No, it just shows up on my calender. I come back to the fact that this place is massive and sits in the center of the largest medical center in the world and an aerial view shows it to be the largest hospital in the complex and to top it off, all they treat is cancer. The other hospitals have multple services. Massive, colossal are a couple of words that come to mind and treating leukemia is one of their specialties. They developed the chemo used world wide for the treatment of the disease as well as they are always fine tuning the stem cell therapy. And Dr. Khouri is tops in his field.
So on Friday I looked at my online schedule and there they are - the appointments are beginning to appear, the 15th at 1:00. "Yes that will work nicely". Remember the phrase I used before? "I have cancer. They have the answer". And they are good at what they do best - treating cancer. Never once since I have been a patient here have I ever felt like there might be another place to go. Many come here after they have exhausted other means and places of treatment. I have been there long enough and often enough that I have come to know some of the staff as I walk down the halls. The result - it feels like I have been able to have a smaller place in the belly of this behemoth whale of an institution, that feels safe to me. I know that the SCT will take me through some rough waters. My prayer? May the belly of this whale of an institution provide a safe place while the seas of stem cell rage over me.
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