Let's just cut to the chase - cancer is crap and it (can) kill.
That was brought home this evening rather abruptly. I (am lucky enough to) have private medical cover and so am treated in the private ward of Christies. One of the main benefits of this is that I have my own room - I don't need to interact with other people... There are pluses and minuses of this, one big plus (for me) is that I can pretend that there aren't any other ill people around - but there are.
Ironically, even though I have a private room I prefer to have the door open - so I can see what's going on (and it really helps the air circulation in the room). So it came as a shock when a mature orderly popped his head through the door and asked if he could shut my door (not usual). I asked why (tactless when I worked it out)? And my evening chemo-nurse said "oh it's just a couple of tests we sometimes run in the corridors". She was clearly hyper so that was the end of the conversation, and she also shut my window blind (also unusual).
Then the penny dropped. Pause... sound of trolley wheels going down the ward (left to right)... pause for a couple of minutes... sound of trolley wheels going up the ward (right to left)... pause for a couple of minutes... door/blinds opened by chemo-nurse.
Not much I could say, other than apploguise for being (in hindsight) rather tactless.
Puts it all in perspective again...
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