Chapter 5
At first the words didn't seem real. I can't possibly have leukemia, can I?
"That's a kind of cancer, isn't it?" Rory didn't dare look at her mother's face in fear that she would see the truth.
"Yes," Dr. Dollops confirmed. "What happens is that for no reason whatsoever, a single white blood cell in your bone marrow goes haywire. This mutant cell begins to multiply like wildfire and crowds out your normal red blood cells. You then as a result of that become anemic- that's why you've been feeling tired and listless. Your lymph glands and spleen swell. Yet, your white blood cells are immature, and as they begin to infiltrate your blood stream and organs, you develop bruises and unexplained fevers."
Rory felt numb and sick to her stomach, as if this was a nightmare that she was still trying to wake up from. "What happens now?" Rory asked still recovering from the shock.
"Well, first we will give you a blood transfusion to elevate your red cell count and then you'll look and fell much better. Then we'll start you on a round of chemo, which I hope will put you in remission.
"Remission?"
"That's a halt to the progression of the disease. Once your other doctors and I adjust your levels of chemo, which is pretty strong stuff, you'll be able to go home. You'll then go on outpatient status. You'll come in for more treatments which are called protocols, be hooked up to an infusion pump for a few hours at a time in which you will have more chemo put into you via IV," Dr. Dollops explained.
For a while no one spoke. Rory and her parents were still trying to digest all that they had been told. Rory was the first to break the deafening silence. "This… this chemo stuff is it scary? I mean are there any side effects?"
"Yes," Dr, Dollops declared. "There are some side effects such as loss of hair and appetite, mouth sores, nausea, vomiting etc. The degree of each side effect is different for each person. A full team of different people including dieticians, psychologists, exercise therapists will be in to talk to you and your family in depth about these," he nodded toward her parents who sat tight lipped and silent. "Someone will also be in to talk to you about a technique that we encourage patients to do called imagining, do it, it works trust me." His beeper suddenly went off causing everyone in the room to jump. "Sorry about that," he apologized. Looking straight at Rory he said, "I know you feel very overwhelmed with information right now, but I promise we will fight this thing. Ok, I'll leave you and your family to discuss what you've just been told, I'll be in later." And with that he left, leaving Rory and her family to "discuss" her diagnosis.
"I- I don't understand," Mrs. Harris began.
"What's there to understand, Mom? I have cancer, that's all there is to it! Rory's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Don't worry Rory, we will fight this thing, we will do whatever the doctors say you'll be out of this hospital in no time," her dad said clenching he fists together.
"Dad, mom please I… I really need to be alone right now," Rory told them while walking to her bed and climbing in.
"Um… ok honey no problem, visiting hours are almost up anyways. We'll see you tomorrow," her mom said soothingly while taking her father's hand and heading towards the door.
Rory just continued to hide under the covers and wait. When she was absolutely sure her parents left she started to release all the tears that had been trapped inside her until now. Why? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME? She wondered. She cried and cried till she thought she had no more tears left to shed and fell into a fitful sleep. She awoke many times in a cold sweat then cried herself back to sleep.
R& R please. Thanks!
