Kick in the stomach
It is 9:14 am and I am sitting in the waiting room at Sloan Kettering in Westchester and I have been here already for an hour. I've already had my blood work done and I now have a quiet place to read. I am waiting for a chemo shot in the stomach and a shot in my arm to strengthen my bones. My white blood cell count is low again, due to the chemo of 2 weeks ago. I feel sad to be alone but I know that if that is my worst problem today I will be thrilled. A young mother walks in with her six year old son and calls him by the same pet name that I used to use for my youngest daughter. I look up. She is sweet and pretty and he is adorable and clearly very smart. He is pale. She takes a bottle of pills out of her purse and gives him what looks to be a handful. He takes them without a word or a question or a glass of water. He is the patient. Multiple myeloma is a disease of older people for the most part. I saw a ...