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Our Arrival at Moffitt Cancer Center, Two Views

From Mat’s journal

3-1-14

They transfer me to Moffitt -  the promise land, in the middle of the night. I’m sufficiently medicated, its comfortable.

When I get there my nurse is hard of hearing, their faces are not warm.
They say I cannot move around good enough to go to the bathroom on my own since I must use a walker.

I warn people about the danger of liquid on my lungs. They asked me the last time I pooped. “48 hours”

Liquid diet breakfast served
-apple juice
-8 oz vegetable broth
  • regular jello-
  • coffee
  • -sugar
No pain meds yet.


My View

We arrived at Moffitt just after midnight. The ambulance parked in front in order to unload Mathew. I had to park in the parking garage and race back to the main entrance. The last time I had been at Moffitt was back in the 90’s when my sister Elizabeth received a bone marrow transplant.

And there we were. On the fifth floor, 5 south, in a large room and suddenly I felt so alone. The admitting doctor and the nurse were strangers, everyone was, and they asked the same questions Mathew had been answering all along. I wanted someone to fire the starting pistol and get things moving. I still feel alone and lost when I think about those first few days, but then that became our routine, our ‘normal’.


TXTS to Joseph

Got here a little after midnight. Waiting for the 
doctor to make rounds. Great big room.
Visitation 24/7 even a comfortable cot so when 
ou come to visit you can sleep and shower here. 
Hotel quality bathroom.
Sent 3-1-14

Mat has been sleeping good. Anxious 
to get going with treatments.
Sent 3-1-14

                                                                     Great!
                                                                     Rcd  3-1-14

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