Bring Back My Competitive Spirit

 On my very first visit to the cancer clinic I felt ill at ease. All of these people were sickly looking. I do not want to be sickly looking. However, one woman stood out. I had to look closely to see if she was a patient. She was dressed well she had a rolling case. I thought maybe she was a pharmaceutical representative. She also looked very familiar; I thought maybe our kids went to school together. Then she was gone.

  On my second visit to the clinic I saw her again. I said you look so familiar she said I did too. We introduce ourselves, her name is Ann.  We ran the gamut as too where our kids went to school, where we live, where we work, nothing?  Talking to Ann she was telling me she has done fairly well with her treatments. Ann is closing in on the end of her treatments she has 4 treatments left. Her cocktail is the same as mine.  But she thought she was going to have to drop out of a running group, she had joined. WHAT RUNNING? OH MY!

 HMMM Ann can run! I must get my hiking back on. So the next week Anita and I go to Turkey Mountain and hike 4 miles. I have got to get my stamina back up. I am returning to work March 26, 2012. After a day or two, I am no worse for the wear I walk Lafortune 3.1 mile.

It is time for my second play date.  I go into the clinic and I see a familiar face in the waiting room. She is a 65 year old woman who has ovarian cancer and I stop to ask her how she is? She looks like she is not feeling well.  She says she is not, she hurts all over.  I then see Ann I share with her what I was handing out to the receptionist and the doctor, a card with me in all of my wigs.” Disguises of Patient Rachel Newhart” Ann says “No that is not for her”. Ann wanted to remain looking just like Ann. I said “Not me I want to be anyone but me”. We sit and visit for a little while. I introduced Ann to Big Daddy. Tulsa is just too small of a town, we did find a friend of ours who Ann knew and worked with. Not only is Ann running she has continued to work. I get called back to see the doctor.

 Dr. Cole is very impressed with my blood work. He sends me back for round two of chemo.  While back in infusion Anita and I are visiting with Ann.  I mention how good my blood work is. Ann being more familiar with the important numbers asks Mesha our nurse if my numbers were better than hers? Mesha said she had to look at mine twice to see if this was my first treatment because mine were so good.   GAME ON! Yes! I have found my competitive spirit! As crazy as it might sound to most people, how do you compete on things you cannot control? It is not really a competition it is a drive, a desire to be your best. Ann gets it! I believe she will be the one I can compare how well we are, not how ill we feel.