My appointment with the oncologist

I wrote about my oncologist’s appointment last year and thought I’d do it again after my last week’s appointment. I go twice a year which is really two times too many, but it’s necessary, so I do it. This time I was worried that maybe I’d gained weight since my last visit, so I wore flip flops which I took off before being weighed and no bra. I don’t know how much my bra weighs, but it must weigh something and every ounce counts. Fortunately, I weighed the same as last year.

The office was filled with people waiting to be seen by a doctor. There were elderly people, not so elderly people and even one young man who was completely bald. Some were in wheelchairs or walkers and not having an easy time of it. I was thankful I could walk in unaided. I sat there for about 45 minutes after my blood was taken before they called me in to see the doctor. While I waited I checked out the magazines. The last time I wrote, I mentioned how they had no interesting magazines anyplace in the waiting room. Nothing had changed. The only literature was magazines on healing, cancer, coping with cancer, life, health and that sort of thing. What they need is something to make people laugh or at least hold their interest . . . something like Esquire, GQ, Star, People, New Yorker and others of the same sort. I know I don’t want to read how to cope with cancer when I’m in the oncologist’s office. I already coped and don’t need to be reminded.

So to entertain myself, I found a newspaper on a table which was turned to the classified ads which I never read . . . but I was desperate. I picked it up and it was turned to the want ads for people looking for employment. It was quite interesting. There was an ad for a Nurse Manager at the Oregon State Penitentiary with what looked like a pretty good salary. It read, “Join us and have hands-on involvement in critical decision making.” I decided I wasn’t quite ready for that yet. There was one for Front Desk Manager at a resort in Bend with free golf and one for Outside Sales which sounded good until I realized it didn’t mean it was actually outside. There was another one for a bartender at a fun, busy bar – great personality required. That sounded like I might like to spend time there, but not to work. And then I came to the very best one in sales at a car dealership. I could make $10,000 a month and possible commissions and would be trained for the job if I had the right attitude. For $10,000 a month, I could have any attitude they wanted!

By this time I was really into looking for a job. I had never seen so much opportunity right in front of me. But then I was called back to see my doctor which was the reason I was there in the first place . . . not to job hunt. The nurse took me back and I remarked that they should have some interesting magazines out there and named a few that would make people laugh and think about something other than cancer. She gave me a glazed look and said she would tell someone. I didn’t ask who. So next time I go, I’ll see if they took my advice. People need something to make them laugh or think about something other than the reason they’re there. Cancer is such a horrible, insidious disease and affects so many families that there has to be some humor in any situation at times. If you can find something to laugh at during your worst times, you’re going to make it.