 |
| Fear of Chemotherapy; Ovarian Cancer |
I sit across from a widow. A new patient. A terrified face. Tears
filling her eyes. Somehow, I think she knows where this conversation will land.
I utter the first word concerning her treatment—chemotherapy. Before I even make
it to the last syllable, her head drops and she shivers. A weighted tear
hits her lap. Her daughter reaches over and offers a hug. The start of a
journey.
I explain the dreaded C-word. But her preconceived fears about that topic cannot be erased. She tunes me out. I now witness a mind heading to
default. I try to soften the blow, but my efforts fail. Paralysis owns her.
