In the Waiting Line

Before I start this post let me say that it is in no way meant to be depressing. It is simply a statement of fact to explain the picture and probably some others that have been and will be posted in my journal.

In April 2013 I was diagnosed with stage 4 Esophageal cancer. For the last 20 months I have been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. My chemo is every two weeks. One day in the hospital and another 2 with a chemo pump at home. About every 10 weeks they scan me to see the progress. I have been holding it at bay but with stage 4 there is not a cure. I remain outwardly pretty healthy and active.

Today was the day of my latest scan. I get the results on Dec 12th. For my chemo I am able to go to a regional hospital but for my scans and doctors visits I go to MD Anderson Cancer Center located in the Texas Medical Center in Downtown Houston. The Texas Medical Center is the largest in the world. It's Wikipedia page has a panorama and you have to scroll to view the entire center. It is bigger than Downtown Dallas and employs over 100,000 people.

The drive down is always interesting as it is the main commuter route in Houston and I took this image of my drive downtown today. When I get there the first stop is for a blood draw. Usually it is busy but it is a real production line and normally I have to wait about 10 minutes. Today there was a Christmas rush. The wait took an hour. I must have been 150th in line. MD Anderson only treats cancer patients and is one hospital in one city so that indicates the scale of folks who are affected by cancer. Anyway as I was sitting in the waiting room I slyly took a shot of a few of the others who were waiting for their turn or for a family member. It is not the best picture in the world but it does show the mix of humanity that come together at a facility like this.

Here is a Song/Video that I think captures the moment.

My scans went off without a hitch and I now anxiously await Fridays results.