Cancer in Quarantine Diaries: Getting to Know You

Creating my own cheering squad during cancer treatments

Image photographed by the author

The exciting news in my life right now is that I went to my last blood draw for chemo last night. I’ve gone every week for the last 13 weeks and the phlebotomists have become friendly faces. Since I go at night to avoid the most traffic, I’m usually in and out in less than 10 minutes. But in those few minutes of finding a vein, drawing blood, and bandaging up by arm, we’ve chatted.

Even though I’m an introvert, I have found over the years that I get really chatty at appointments. It not only puts me at ease, it puts other people at ease. I have found that when you take the time to get to know someone, even if it’s just for a moment in their week, it makes for a more pleasant visit. By the time I leave, we’re both smiling. My husband is always surprised that by the time I walk out of a building I’ve gotten to know about someone’s day or some event in their life.

I might not know all the names, but I can tell you that the tall man, Michael, who’s done most of my blood draws calls me Madame Monday or Bebe in a friendly tone and that he’s frustrated by the people who refuse to wear masks. He also doesn’t like people who are too nice. He’s teasingly told me that he does not like people like me because we are too nice…