Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Back At It...

I suppose I could call it an 8:00 tee-time yesterday? I was first in line at the BC Cancer Agency. It was an early start, and surprisingly I really felt sluggish afterward, despite having a couple of days off over the weekend. I guess the only thing that might be consistent in all of this is the, uh, inconsistency?

And, nice to have Bob McMurchy provide chauffeur services afterwards!

Gay and I have been to the clinic in Kelowna probably more than a dozen times now and I am becoming quite familiar with the surroundings. I think back to August and our first couple of visits, when it was all just kind of surreal. We were the "newbies", drinking it all in when information overload kind of ruled the day.

But now, I really notice the people who are new to the facility. They are seldom alone, and their entourages are quite bright-eyed. It's like a combination of curiosity, anticipation, perhaps some depression. I know the feeling, and it tears me up because I feel like I know that everyone will eventually recognize that the entire process has a way of just belting you in the chops.

Then there are those winding up their treatment schedule. This is real encouraging, because it signals kind of an end to their specific routine. There is triumph in their eyes, thankfulness that they are ready for the next step. Their battles are not finished, but I see such happiness and satisfaction...

I am impressed every day by the attitudes and the approach the staff portray. What a workplace this is, considering the emotions at play and really, what everyone has at stake. I hope these folks develop effective ways to put it all behind them when they leave work, because while they are on shift, they are dealing with us as patients during some of our worst times.

Moving forward, I think I can comfortably say that the negative effects of a four-and-half-hour round of golf, those days on the golf course that seem to drive "normal" folks into fits of rage, have been neatly assigned to a category I will refer to as "proper perspective".

Countdown...

#31: A tip of the hat to my favorite NHL goaltender, Grant Fuhr. He's a hall-of-famer who wore #31 during most of his playing days in Edmonton. I played a handful of rounds of golf with Grant over the years and he is a skilled athlete. Just a real down-to-earth guy, soft-spoken and tremendously talented with a golf club in his hands. I especially enjoyed when he would talk about the challenges of playing in the old Saskatoon Arena when he played for the Victoria Cougars of the WHL. Just great memories!

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