In Focus

Infusion day was quite interesting... I receive an infusion every eight weeks for my Crohn’s disease. It usually involves me having to get up before the crack of dawn for the hour-long trip to the hospital. Then I get to sit there for three hours in a heated massage chair in a room with large windows and a TV. Sometimes I sleep, sometimes I work on my laptop or watch Netflix. Most of the time I am by myself; other times I have a roommate. The day came and I headed to the hospital. I got there and the front door was closed and I had to go to the ER entrance. I lugged my laptop bag around the hospital and put on my mask, which was a sleeve like facemask that I folded in half. I finally got in and made it to the reception desk only to find out they had moved the infusion lab to the clinic across town. Now I was going to be late because nobody bothered to tell me of the change beforehand. I booked on over to the clinic and went through the second screening process of the morning and I was finally able to check in. I got to the room which had three chairs and a small computer desk in it. It was quite cramped and had no windows or TV. The nurse I had was amazing. My last visit took four tries to get the IV in. She did it in one, and I never got a bruise! I slid the little table under my seat so I could use my laptop and pulled out my snacks. The nurse said she was glad I brought snacks because they wouldn’t have much for food there. I’m glad I came prepared. I get a steroid shot with my infusion, so I am always hungry while I am there. Then it dawned on me I was wearing a mask. I waited until she left the room to start eating. The longer I wore the mask the more my nose was squished and it was quite uncomfortable. I finally started to doze off when another person came in for her cancer treatment. She took the chair next to mine in the corner. My roommate was finishing her last week of chemo and it was her third time that week. We had a good conversation and were kind of sad not to at least have a window to see the fly by that happened that day. The nurse went out to watch the fly by and she said it was very loud. We didn’t hear a thing. The topic came up of the hospital notifying people of changes. I told the nurse I was never informed of the change in location. She was shocked. I checked my appointment online and nothing was changed. She did look into it, but couldn’t find an answer. But she said the infusions would take place there for the foreseeable future. When my infusion was done I said my goodbyes and headed out. I had to pick up a few supplies while I was in town. I stopped at a home improvement store to get some wood for the stars I’m making for the light show. I kept my mask on while I shopped. There were a ton of people in the store. More than I have ever seen there on a weekday afternoon. I started looking around and not many people were wearing a mask, not even the employees. I did my best to keep my distance, but it was impossible. I grabbed what I needed and got out quickly. I really disliked my mask and realized I need a different style mask. It looked like my nose was sunburned by the time I got back in may car. I picked up some food at a drive-thru and headed home. It was a long, crazy, uncomfortable day. At least I don’t have to go back again until July. I feel for the nurses that have to work in these cramped, unfavorable conditions. Thank you nurses!