Reflection 15: In limbo again

 Being in limbo is an interesting state. It does not happen very often in one's life, so it does bear some commentary. The first time in limbo on this war with cancer was prior to the operation (see Tick tock tick tock). This is the second.

 It has been 59 days since surgery. The protocol says that the pathology report should have been received by CancerCare in 30 days. Now this report is a critical document, for it tells those who need to know the state of the cancer. With this information, radiation in the correct area and dose can be scheduled and administered. Without it you wait between surgically removing the cancer and undertaking 6 weeks of radiation therapy. 59 days of drumming my right hand fingers on the tabletop...waiting.

***

 Flashback. In 1958 my parents decided that for our summer vacation we will travel from Toronto to Winnipeg in their 2-year old Chevy sedan with us kids. We took the Canadian route since they wanted to see a part of Canada that was new to them. In mid-morning on Day 2 the car stopped approximately 125 miles west of Wawa. (Those were the days before Trudeau introduced metric measurement to an unsuspecting nation.) Dead. I mean the car just would not restart. 

 So we waited and waited for a kind passerby to stop. We waited forever! Or, at least it seemed to me, a preteen. There was nothing we could do. I mean we were stranded between miles and miles -- and miles and miles. We could not venture too far away from the car. Dad said we would be eaten by the yet-to-be-seen furry monsters! We were in limbo. We were in an intermediate state.

 It is funny how your mind works. I have not thought of that situation for years and years. Until now...when I am again in limbo, in the state of uncertainty. I am in mid-journey between the operation and radiation therapy. This time the yet-to-be-seen monsters are not furry. 


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