people feel the need to offer their support in any way they can and they send gifts.
It's an odd thing having cancer. It kinda follows you around all day, every day but you can't waste your time turning around to see if it's still there. I gather that when it's finally gone you'll know. Someone will ask how long since you were diagnosed and you'll find yourself saying "five years". And you'll realize that you've passed the milestone. It's over. You survived. But in the meanwhile you still have to deal with some interesting situations.
Yesterday at work I was sitting at the nurses station sporting a chemo cap when one of my co-workers said, "I like your hat. It's cute. Did you knit it yourself." "Why yes I did." "Well I like it." "Thank you very much." And off she goes down the hall. Now really folks can you not tell by looking that a person is bald under a cap that hugs their head? That the merino confection they are sporting is covering a shiny dome? Apparently not all of us can. A few minutes later several RNs are gathered at the desk, including the "cute hat" nurse. A second RN is telling of her cancer experience and how I now look like she did. "Cute hat" nurse let's say she was confused. Because I am of Irish/Ukrainian descent and the person speaking is Thai. First nurse looks confusedly at second nurse, trying so hard to put the pieces together it hurt me. And then the ah ha moment arrives. She turns to me and says, "You have cancer?" And I say, "Why else would I be bald?" And yes, she says, "you're bald?" and I immediately feel bad for her patients. I hope they can all bring the obvious to light or they may go wanting this shift.
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