Chemo

Today I took a dear friend to her chemo appointment. I've sat with her before but today seemed different. I picked her up and we went to the office where we were escorted back to the treatment room. The nurse gave her and I a hug and asked about our Thanksgiving holiday and told us about hers. We sat in a large room with about ten sets of chairs all around the room. One chair for the patient, the other for a guest.
The nurse put a needle into her port and then proceeded to hook three bags onto the IV pole. One bag to control the nausea and vomiting, one of chemo, and one for hydration. As each bag emptied, the buzzer sounded and the nurse came and changed the bag. It was all very efficient and the 2 1/2 hours passed quickly as we chatted and I crocheted. If I closed my eyes it would have been as if we were sitting at home.
When I dropped my friend back home I thought how strange the afternoon had been. I was sitting with my friend as drugs were given to her which will kill good and bad cells. She will spend the next few days fighting headaches, nausea, sleeplessness, and lack of energy. She may spend the rest of her life fighting this cancer.
The more I think about it, the more surreal it becomes, especially given the fact that I don't think chemo is the only answer and believe strongly in alternative medicine. I would like to see her augmenting the chemo treatments with a more holistic approach, but that is not my call. I am her friend, so I support her in any way I can whenever she needs me.