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Henry Jayasena Column -
168
Story of a Cancer Patient - Part 10:
Treatment begins
"How thin he has become!"
"Good Heavens!"
"Isn't that Sudu Seeya!"
Such remarks came from some who had recognized me. None of them
hindered our slow progress forward. Most of them would have been
patients themselves. Others may have been accompanying their patients.
Some wore dark colored scarves around their heads. A few were on wheel
chairs. Some had come with their bandages on.
Each one had a look of desperation - of someone caught up in a cruel
fate. And with that desperation there was courage, there was stoicism,
there was hopelessness, there was dejection, sadness. Even utter
resignation. This I though was according to the particular mindset of
each individual.
Some smiled with me and I smiled back. Finally we entered the Room
Number 6 after a long push. It was a very small room. Dr. Balawardhana
sat behind a small table more or less in the middle of the room.
There were smaller tables - almost like desks - right round him.
About six other doctors sat behind them seeing patients. There were
mounds of files on these tables. On each file was printed in clear black
letters 'Government Cancer Institute/Unit'.
"Come, Mr. Jayasena, please sit down." Dr. Balawardhana called me
indicating the chair by his side. "You will get used to the procedure
here, Mr. Jayasena. The noise and the crowds."
"I am used to crowds, doctor. And I am used to noise too." I replied
softly with respect. Manel was standing near me. She gave the W.B.C.
[White Blood Count] report to the doctor. He had ordered it. He took a
few moments to go through the report.
"This is okay. We can start you on chemotherapy immediately." The
doctor declared. He directed me to a couch behind his table, made me lie
down and examined me. He looked at the cut, pressed my abdomen and did
some anal inspection too.
"Okay." Said he after this routine, taking his gloves off and putting
them into a bin.
"Okay, I don't see any problem."
He was once again seated at his table. I came around after adjusting
my clothes and sat by him.
I was surprised to note the existence of an examining couch in such a
small room. Since the couch was shielded by push-open plastic covers it
would not be noticeable to a casual observer.
I was more than overwhelmed by the number of patients in the room
being seen non-stop by the doctors present. Each doctor I thought would
be seeing at least 100 patients per session, discussing their problems,
diagnosing, prescribing their medicine, discussing their progress etc.
Each doctor took turns to examine patients taking two or three at a
time. Later I found that there were a few covered cubicles outside the
room too for this purpose.
Dr. Balawardhana reached out and took a small chit from a pile on his
table, wrote out the due dose for me, signed it and gave it to my wife.
"There is an issue counter right at the top on this row of rooms. Please
go there, collect your medicine and take it to the chemo ward...And
don't forget to take him along!" The doctor smiled at his own little
joke and turned his attention to me.
"Don't be scared." He said. "Some take to chemo quite well. You might
feel a little bad after the third, fourth doses. But I am sure you will
face up to it. I know you are a courageous man, right?" He smiled.
There was, in this doctor, something that gave courage and strength
to his patients. That was part of his strong personality.
"Thank you, sir." Was all I could say.
We were soon out of the room. You don't want to take the doctor's
time more than necessary. He has many patients to see. You don't want to
delay - especially when you have got there out of turn.
We located the issue counter easily, obtained our vials of chemo or
whatever you call it and soon we were wending our way towards the all
important Chemo Ward.
My progress was slow due to the battering my knees had experienced
with the rheumatic spell. In any case I was thin and rather weak. Not
strong in the legs at all. My wife was helping me by holding on to one
of my arms "This ridiculous knee problem had to come just at this
juncture!" I was grumbling. "People might think my cancer is in the
leg..."
"Stop your nonsense and come along!" Says she rather sharply. She
wants my mind to veer away from self pity. "People will look at you in
any case. Because they recognize you!"
"Perhaps they don't, now that I am so thin!"
"So much the better!" Says she and laughs and I join in.
**********************
The Chemo Ward at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital is kept very clean.
This ward stands rather apart from the rest of the buildings of the
complex. The ward is air-conditioned.
As you walk down the rather steep aisle towards the ward, a very
strong smell hits you in the nostrils. One learns it is the smell of
chemo injections and perhaps other strong drugs administered to cancer
patients.
As you enter the ward through its swing doors, you find a reception
counter flanked by two long rooms on either side leaving an aisle in the
middle. Almost every bed is occupied.
The chemo injections mixed with saline in plastic bottles hang from a
stand near each bed. The injection nodule is fixed to a vein on the back
of each patient's hand and the contents in the plastic bottles drip in,
drop by drop.
A small dose takes around forty to fifty minutes to drip in. One
learns later, that certain doses - perhaps stronger ones, take much
longer. In certain cases the plastic bottle as well as the tube
connected to it are covered by a green covering, like a jacket. Nurses
who handle this duty wear nose masks and some wear gloves.
The smell of chemo could be extremely nauseating to some. Some
patients start retching from the moment they come in to the ward.
Surprisingly, some patients lie on their beds smiling away quite happily
as if they are being given some kind of elixir. Most of the patients
exchange pleasantries or indulge in light conversation.
I too found the smell of chemo quite nauseating and unpleasant. Soon
I learnt to cover my nose with a handkerchief. Later, I learnt to carry
a fresh lime which I kept sniffing every now and then. That certainly
helped and I would recommend this simple trick to anyone to overcome the
smell of chemo.
My tour-de-chemo started on the 7th of May, 1999 as scheduled. It was
to go on for 52 weeks. Only God would have known how long I could have
gone on and what was in store for me.
****************************
After about the third dose the chemo began to react. In my case
rather badly. The mouth, lips and tongue were sore. I could hardly take
any food. This of course was no great tragedy, since in any case with
the very first dose of chemo, I lost my appetite almost completely.
You feel like running away at the very sight of food. I must add that
this is not so for every person undergoing chemo. Some take it quite
well without much nausea. In my case it could well have been that my
body was weak after the operation and consequent loss of blood due to a
diarrhea caused by an infection.
Anyway, I managed to last the consecutive five days of chemo and
thankfully I was given a rest period of three weeks after that...
To be continued
[email protected]
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Thought of the Week
My good friend Jayalath Manoratne has brought out a new production of
the famous Soviet play by Eugeney Shwartsz 'The Dragon' - 'Makara' in
Sinhala. I am very happy he has used my translation for the production.
I produced this play way back in 1974 and later - around 1984 - it was
brought to the stage once again by Dharmasiri Bandaranayake.
He called it 'Makarakshaya'. It won many awards at the State Drama
Festival of that year and featured Ramani Bartholomeuz in the female
lead of Eliza. Dharmasiri played the male lead of Lancelot in my
production as well as in his own.
Makara is a very thought provoking satire. I am glad Mano - one of
our most capable and senior most directors, has brought it on stage this
time. I saw the premiere performance at Elphinston Theatre on the 21st
of November. It was a scintillating production.
Mano himself played the most demanding role of The Mayor in his own
inimitable style. He was hilarious, crafty, with a dash of pathos -
pathos for the way people unflinchingly buckle under the rule of the
Dragon.
Apart from Mano, The new Makara too employs a sterling cast in Jagath
Chamila as Lancelot, Madini Malwattage and Paboda Sandeepani as Eliza,
Samapath Tennakoon as the Dragon, and Sarath Chandrasiri as Henry - the
rascally henchman of the Dragon.
Makara is a very timely piece of Theatre - when we have to seek and
vanquish the Dragons in the hearts of all of us. Only then will we be
able to live happily - ever so happily. I recommend Mano's Makara to all
serious lovers of Theatre. |
