#12 Organ Recital

As someone who has lived my life in the driver’s seat, it’s not easy being a passenger. As someone who has been the proverbial giver, it’s not easy being the receiver. As someone who has nurtured a career as a healer, it’s hard to be the patient. Of course, no one has such a binary life and I am better at both sides of the equation as I have gotten older, but still!

As I am full swing in my second round of treatment for leukemia this month, I find myself the lead character in an organ recital, where I could have each system of my body declare the cumulative impact of numerous chemotherapeutic agents alongside all the other medications given to address side effects. I have never taken my pristine health for granted, and I will spare you the details, but when so many places don’t feel right, I am humbled, and moments can be tough-going. On a positive note, I HAVE side-stepped any of the major issues that can arise, for which I am deeply grateful.

I have written elsewhere about the prescribing cascade, defined as a first drug given that causes signs or symptoms of a new condition, for which a different medication is prescribed. Suffice it to say, this concept is alive and well in cancer care. And so, I look for small ways to sidestep the prescribing cascade, as some side-effect drugs cause further side-effects that are worse than the symptoms they’re trying to prevent!