The Two-Hour Training Session

 
  We are now less than two weeks away from Transplant Day.  The timing of it all was a little off, but today I sat through my "Autologous Education" session down at the cancer treatment facility.  This two-hour training session was presented to five or six patients and their accompanying caregivers/cheerleaders. The purpose of the event was to explain all about what to expect during the stem-cell transplant process.  I say that the timing was off because the first hour of the lecture was all about the hoops I have already jumped through: the catheter implant, the harvesting of stem cells, the neuprogen injections in my belly (by my wife who I think was often smiling during those five days of jabbing me), and a briefing on all the lingo.  But Connie reminded me the more education one can have, the better.  The rest of the training included a lot of things about the stay in the hospital which are also listed in the book I have read, but maybe other people don't read the book.  Connie again reminded me gently to just soak in the knowledge and that even refresher courses are good.
   It was an interesting mix of people in our group.  The nurse leading the discussion had a difficult job.  She walked us through her fifty-seven power-point slides (I counted--sometimes I do weird things like that), reading what we probably could have read ourselves.  Each time she had to change slides, she had to walk over to the computer, squint like I squint when I don't have my reading glasses, and then apologize for not being more efficient.  Her monologue/presentation was complete and interesting, but it had to appeal to a variety of people, each of whom were very different and at different stages of this process:

• One patient was a guy I deduced was from up north (the phone number embroidered on the back of his Carhartt jacket had a 231 area code).  He had six female relatives with him.  I am quite sure they were all related because he did not look like a polygamist nor a harem-leading kind of a guy.  The women all had voices like men and several also wore Carhartt jackets.  They were a little scary.  
• One older woman spoke about the danger of ticks.  She had heard all about it on the local news and so assumed the role of resident etymologist.  She was a little scary too. 
• One guy could only talk about his Harley, until he fell asleep for the last 45 minutes of the presentation.  But at least his wife/girlfriend/sister asked a lot of questions on his behalf.  It is too bad that he wasn't awake to hear the answers.

   While it was obvious each of us there had a different story and background, I was reminded again to treasure my story and the accompanying joys and blessings I have.  The gifts of home and love and family and hope are nothing I have earned and should never be assumed.  

   People are fascinating.  They humor me and cause me to speculate about what has happened to them in the past that has formed their personalities.  But God does more than that.  He doesn't just observe them.  He both knows them and loves them.  All of them.  Even the Harley dude snoring in the corner who has lost a few teeth and more than a few brain cells over the years.  "Thank you God for being love to all.  Help me to learn to see people like you see people.  I want to keep working on that. Amen."