Back in 1976, when I’d moved to NJ and was working in NYC, my Dad went to Sloan-Kettering in NYC for removal of a malignant mole (3rd stage melanoma) on his back, by renowned surgeon Dr Joe Fortner, and Mom (RN) was with him daily, and I visited him everyday before we went back to NJ for the night. They got it all; no chemo, no radiation. Fortner was that good, and Mom spotted it and made it happen. 14” scar and 3lbs of ‘meat’ removed and all-clear biopsies of his lymph nodes.
While walking the halls, on my way outside for a smoke, I ran into 4-5-6-7 year old children, in hospital gowns and flip flops, undergoing chemo and radiation for terminal cancer, pushing IV Trees and I’d help their frail little figures push the trees around, sit and talk, tell them about the day and night outside in NYC, and ask about their world inside the hospital. They were so optimistic, smiling and innocent, but full of hope and life. They were dying and they knew it, but they had faith in God and were thankful for the time they had.
I frequently had tears running down my face and they would take tissues and wipe my tears, hold my hand, asking me why I was crying for them.
I met their families and snuck treats up to them from the Jewish deli across the street.
That grounded me like no other event, except possibly surviving that 1974 robbery/shooting in Florida.
Dad when he was diagnosed was given 6 months. He went up to Sloan-Kettering and he lasted 14 MORE years. Medicare even payed for him taking a new drug at that time @ $100K a year in his last year. He was their poster child.
0bama is going to Fluke that over for me if I inherited his gene.