Talania: A Trip down Memory Lane
Page 35

“Done! Remember to put toilet seat down. Anything else?”
I think for a few moments about what else drives me crazy. “Oh, always make sure when you finish, the toothpaste tube doesn’t have extra toothpaste gunked up on it. That drives me insane! And make sure you don’t leave toothpaste spit in the sink. That’s just yucky!”
Tristan leans down inches away from my face. “I know all about the toothpaste and toilet already baby. I was just letting you have some fun. This is nothing new to me.”
Well drats! Maybe I should make something up. “No drinking orange juice from the container,” I spit out.
His eyebrow quirks up. “Now you’re just making shit up Ev. You love drinking orange juice from the container.”
What? Does he seriously know all this? “Really?” I cry in frustration.
“Yes, really. Baby, I told you. You really haven’t changed.”
“Well, I’ll come up with something, or I’ll be damned!”
“I know you will,” he chuckles.
Dr. Zelanburg’s knock at the door startles us from our silly conversation. “Evelyn, are you ready to start chemotherapy?” Knowing this was coming, I realize that Tristan and I have been avoiding any talk about my chemo. I turn to Tristan with questioning eye and he reluctantly nods.
“Yeah, we’re ready. Tristan is going with me. Is that okay?”
My doctor opens the door and smiles. “Of course it is dear. It will be good for you to have someone else besides your parents with you for once.”
I love my doctor. He gets me; he loves me. “You know me so well,” I tease him.
He grins. “I would hope so after treating you for four years, my dear.”
No matter how many times I’ve forgotten Dr. Zelanburg, he always manages to win me back over to his side. I’m sure my memory loss broke his heart more than a few times.
Because I am still weak from the fever, Tristan pushes me in the wheelchair behind Dr. Zelanburg all the way to the chemo room. I am going straight to my first round of chemo because I have aggressive, adamant doctors. I know I will be leaving in a wheelchair too.
Because Dr. Zelanburg knows me so well, he has my wheelchair all prepped and ready for me. “You even got me a Cosmo,” I whisper.
“Of course I did. What kind of oncologist forgets Cosmo?” he teases, making light of our many trips down the hall to the chemo room.
I can’t remember a lot of them up until the last half of this year when my memory stopped being affected.
“I used my phone to look up information on her port. Are you sure it’s safe to use it the same day it’s reinstalled for her first treatment?”
I look up at Tristan, shocked that he is actually doing his homework.
I see the smile spread on Dr. Zelanburg’s face. “Have a seat son. Let me get our girl hooked up and I’ll explain Evelyn’s case to you.”
Tristan seems content with that answer and takes a seat next to me.
“I’m special, I guess, because Dr. Zelanburg always wants to start my treatments unless he’s busy elsewhere. For the most part that I can remember, he’s always here with me in the beginning of the session.”
Tristan eyes go wide as he watches my doctor run the catheter into my port. I can’t help but just smile at him. This is the easy part. He has no idea of what is coming.
Dr. Z waits a few moments after inserting the catheter. He does the routine procedures of checking my machine and port-a-cath, and then he begins my session. He drags a rolling chair to sit in front of Tristan and me. “All right Tristan, are you ready for a quick and easy version of why our Evelyn is so special?”
Tristan nods eagerly. I guess the more he knows the better it will make him feel.
“It depends on each individual case as to when an oncologist will decide it is safe to start using a port. Evelyn had hers installed early this morning while you were still asleep. She then went back to sleep for almost six hours. This helped me determine the time frame for when to start her chemo today. I despise saying this, but our dear Evelyn’s body is still used to this sort of treatment.
“She is strong, and with Acute Leukemia, it’s best to start treatment right away, but most especially in Evelyn’s case. All cases of cancer are unique in their own way. Many different specifications help determine treatments for our patients. We want our Evelyn cancer free again as quick as possible. We know she is strong and can handle it. Do you have any questions for me Tristan, or did I answer them for you?”
Tristan sits back and thinks for a minute. “Yes,” he says, “what are the drugs you’re going to be pumping into my girlfriend?”
“Well, first I will inject saline to keep her hydrated and to keep her kidneys functioning properly. The next injection is known as EP. This is a combination of two drugs: etoposide and cisplatin, which contains platinum. After EP, the chemotherapy fluids will start. When we finish the chemotherapy fluids, I will give her more saline. If at any time Evelyn starts to feel nauseous, she will be given an anti-emetic drug thru her port. You may also hear her port referred to as a central line. They are the same thing. Each round of chemo will take between six to eight hours, from start to finish. I know it is a lot to take in on such notice, but you will quickly become familiar with the routine.”
Tristan looks lost as he sits and listens to Dr. Z. He seems to grow paler with the mention of every new drug.
“I’m not worried about the time Doc. That’s just an awful lot of drugs to be shoving into her body.” He frowns and grabs my hand.