What - we are in September already?
As I write Dad is up in room no. 607 of the Bethany Hospital starting his 5th round of chemotherapy.
Dad met his oncologist this morning after his 2 week break since the last dose of the last round - and his blood counts were good. The WBCs at 7200 and 57% of those being neutrophils so it is all systems go for the 3 doses which will be part of chemo round no. 5.
I checked in on Dad at about 11.30, after he had had his consultation and found him waiting in the outpatient waiting room, reading the morning paper. During the monsoons Bethany can be packed. Earlier this week, our staff member Anil Edward's wife Mavis (who works at Bethany in the accounts dept) suffered a kidney stone - and the place was so full that she was in casualty all day waiting for a bed to open up. Eventually her condition stabilised a bit and she was discharged home.
So I was ready to go with Dad into casualty to have his chemo (he has done that twice before) - but then we were told that a bed had opened up on the 6th floor - so up we went! Dad was in his element - greeting Bethany staff left right and centre, using his Marathi skills with fellow patients and their care givers, generally bringing a smile to the faces of folks around him.
And so Dad ends his last day of being '73.' Dad being Dad, he has his own unique way of expressing his age - and always includes his 9 months of gestation into the calculation - but for the rest of us, he will be officially having his 74th birthday anniversary tomorrow - and beginning his 75th year.
With this round of chemo slated to take us till the end of Sept - and the 6th and final one for this course coming up for October... can we start thinking about Mum and Dad going 'back to Mussoorie' in November? We are learning to take things one day at a time. Dad is slowly regaining weight - and still does not have much energy. And we really do not know what the next outcomes will be like. At the end of the 6th round, the oncologist would like a whole body CT scan... will it lead to further treatment? We will see.
Tomorrow is another country. We are glad for today and all the blessings we are living through.
As I write Dad is up in room no. 607 of the Bethany Hospital starting his 5th round of chemotherapy.
Dad met his oncologist this morning after his 2 week break since the last dose of the last round - and his blood counts were good. The WBCs at 7200 and 57% of those being neutrophils so it is all systems go for the 3 doses which will be part of chemo round no. 5.
I checked in on Dad at about 11.30, after he had had his consultation and found him waiting in the outpatient waiting room, reading the morning paper. During the monsoons Bethany can be packed. Earlier this week, our staff member Anil Edward's wife Mavis (who works at Bethany in the accounts dept) suffered a kidney stone - and the place was so full that she was in casualty all day waiting for a bed to open up. Eventually her condition stabilised a bit and she was discharged home.
So I was ready to go with Dad into casualty to have his chemo (he has done that twice before) - but then we were told that a bed had opened up on the 6th floor - so up we went! Dad was in his element - greeting Bethany staff left right and centre, using his Marathi skills with fellow patients and their care givers, generally bringing a smile to the faces of folks around him.
And so Dad ends his last day of being '73.' Dad being Dad, he has his own unique way of expressing his age - and always includes his 9 months of gestation into the calculation - but for the rest of us, he will be officially having his 74th birthday anniversary tomorrow - and beginning his 75th year.
With this round of chemo slated to take us till the end of Sept - and the 6th and final one for this course coming up for October... can we start thinking about Mum and Dad going 'back to Mussoorie' in November? We are learning to take things one day at a time. Dad is slowly regaining weight - and still does not have much energy. And we really do not know what the next outcomes will be like. At the end of the 6th round, the oncologist would like a whole body CT scan... will it lead to further treatment? We will see.
Tomorrow is another country. We are glad for today and all the blessings we are living through.
Happy birthday, Ray!
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