Infusion Folks

[NOTE: This was written on September 20, 2019, and appears in November 2019 Issue of Covenant Spotlight. An update follows the original article.]

As I write this my wife is two-thirds of the way through her chemotherapy treatment. As you read this she should be completely finished. I am grateful. I have learned a lot about gratitude by associating with Infusion Folks.

Although they are a cross-section of the community, they are individuals. Some are obviously ravaged by cancer and the infusion of toxic chemo drugs. They are hairless, thin and gray. My beloved is not one of these and for that I am grateful. That gratitude may be selfish and “me” centered but that, I have learned, is the nature of gratitude. We are grateful when we positively contrast with the lives and sufferings of others. We are ungrateful if we focused on ourselves and lament our condition.

Some Infusion Folk have full heads of hair and glow with good health. I am grateful for these folks as well because of the hope they instill in the rest of us. We rejoice together in small victories. When an Infusion Folk completes their chemo, they ring a bell and cheers go up throughout the Cancer Center.

Infusion folks seem better people than an average crowd. While sitting through hours of infusion, they seem to stare less at their phones and smile at each more than most. Infusion folk are grateful for each day of life. Each infusion session is another milestone on the cancer journey. The nurses and volunteers are incredibly helpful, professional and, most of all, kind. So are the patients. They won’t bother you but are willing to share their experiences and offer advice to any who ask.

The infusion sessions aren’t bad. The loss of hair, bone pain, rashes, nausea, peeling skin and tasteless, or worse, metal tasting food are at a minimum during infusion. These evils take a few days to show up. We appreciate infusion days because we know we can follow them up with pain-free and tasteful meals. Some days the infusion centers are so full that my wife dismisses me to a few hours of doing non-cancer related errands.  A vacation from cancer and chemo. I am grateful.

Through our infusion experience, I have learned how beautiful, strong, courageous and fragile my fifty-year life partner is. I know we will not get another fifty years, but for every hour, day, month and year we do get, I will be extremely grateful. Infusion folks taught me about that.

UPDATE: My beloved finished her chemo early. She still requires infusions of much less toxic drugs for a year. God let her finish early because she had another battle to wage. She demonstrated her incredible courage and strength as she fought for me when I became ill and a tumor was removed from inside my skull. It was benign and with her help, I am doing well. Warriors fight. It’s what they do.