As long and exhausting as my day at the hospital was Thursday, there were some pretty nice perks to make it more manageable. The Day Chemo ward, it turned out, was so overloaded trying to catch up on missed days over the holidays that I was told I would be moved to a bed in a private room on another floor.
Did someone say Private Room? Hello, yes please! Not that I don’t love the social atmosphere and familiar faces in the Day Chemo clinic, but I was tired and had an long day ahead of me so I welcomed the prospect of solitude and sleep – my mom was all the company I needed. Plus, let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a little extra pampering? My smart nurse, Roz, probably knew all this when she sent me down to what, after about 15 minutes, I came to refer to as
Hotel Chemo. (Or, because it rhymed with my nurse’s name,
Chez José.) My five-star experience included: a comfy bed in a quiet place, a door that closed, lights that dimmed, a hot meal (well, okay, I declined the hospital food and my mom went on a food run), fantastic care from a great nurse (this is actually the norm no matter which floor I’m on), and …wait for it… a visit from the therapist pictured below: [gallery] Differently to other therapists I've encountered, this one is very cuddly. Zoe snuggled right up with me and just hung out on her little towel on my bed, keeping me company for a while before making the rounds of the in-patient oncology ward. Can you imagine? She's just this little furry ball of sweetness out to make people smile. I had never heard of this before – this “pet therapy” – but it’s really a nice thing. Here is the website if you want to learn more about these caring canines:
http://www.tpoc.ca It’s amazing the comfort a little puppy love can provide.