Stuart and I went to the main CMC facility this morning at 5 AM in preparation for my mediastinoscopy. There really was no good reason to bring me in that early, as we were ready to roll by 6 AM, then had a nice wait until it was time to go at 8 AM. Most of the preparations were as per the usual - paperwork, health questions, blood draws, IV placement, etc.
One of the preparations was quite unusual however, at least to me. A nice gentlemen named Randolph came into the room and told me it was time to shave my chest. Of course this is an uncomfortable proposition between two men, regardless of the fact that one is a medical professional. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am a (modestly) insecure person so the only thing I knew to do was strike up a conversation:
Dan (D) - So Randolph, where are you from?
Randolph (R) - Trinidad, in the Caribbean
D - When did you come to the US?
R - Came in 1969, when I defected from a government group that was travelling from Trinidad to New York, NY. Where are you from?
D - New Jersey originally, although I have been in Charlotte for the last 12 years
R - New Jersey is terrible, even the trees smell bad
D - (on a gurney laughing) Why are we shaving my chest?
R - Picture two doctors standing over you in surgery and something goes wrong. They need to open you up to save your life and one looks at the other and says "wait, we can not open him up...no one shaved his chest"
D - Nice one Randolph, touche
I don't recall much from the procedure itself, nor the ride home, but I certainly have the scar to prove it happened. Dr. Reames pulled Stuart aside and told her that the preliminary pathology looked like Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
I feel cheated - where's the full body shot in the Speedo?
ReplyDeleteSam - there is likely to be more 'chemo porn' if you stay tuned
ReplyDelete