CTCA - a place of hope

This is quite the place. It is always changing.

I am referring to Cancer Treatment Centers of America - at Midwestern Regional Medical Center in Zion, Illinois.

Yes, it is quite the place and it is always changing. All kinds of changes. Construction projects. Unbelievable. Every time I'm here there are major changes. I mean MAJOR - especially when I come only once a year. One time it was a huge gym in a whole new corner of the third floor. One year new guest quarters - a whole four-story hotel - serving only CTCA guests. This year there is a whole new main entrance and lobby on the far corner from where the entrance has always been. And they have taken out the parking lot and are building a brand new building. Before that they put in a five-level parking garage. Bizarre.

Doing this much construction means doing away with other buildings - several houses and a church so far. Yesterday they started tearing down one of the beautiful landmark houses across the street. A woman on the shuttle this morning may have spoken for others when she said it makes her heart-sick - even though there is much excitement about the advancements and improvements happening around here.

It is a phenomenal place in other ways as well. Patients and their care-givers are treated as guests - because the place was founded for the purpose of treating cancer patients with compassion and dignity while fighting cancer and saving lives. Very impressive it is. And very efficient. The way they provide limo service to/from the airport and shuttle services to/from the hotels - is just one of the amazing things they do to take care of us.

But then the people! It is the people that I intended to talk about. People from all over the country. People with all types of cancer and in all stages. People here for treatment and people here for follow-up care. People here for two days or three months or more. People in recovery and people on oxygen.

The diversity of their conditions is bizarre. Part of me feels depressed to meet so many people who are in late stages of cancer - while another part of me feels almost guilty for feeling so well. It scares me to hear their stories and to think about eventualities. But it also makes me incredibly grateful that I AM doing so well and grateful for places like this - that are fighting cancer so aggressively and effectively. A place that offers hope to so many who had nearly given up hope when they first came here. A place that fights cancer one person at a time.

I can't help but wonder about the future of those filling this dining room this morning and those that I have met during this visit. I can't help but wonder about my own future. And I can't help but think about loved ones I've lost to this horrible disease. Therefore I can't help but be thankful for great strides that are being made in the quest to bring cancer under control.

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Of course, it is also a place making big money. A place charging big money - which means that a lot of people can't come here - which is another whole topic. Another reason to feel conflicted. To be grateful to be among the privileged, but to be aware and compassionate toward those who aren't.

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As for feeling weird about being one of the lucky ones in a place where so many futures are scary... Well, I guess I need not worry about that. To the contrary, people get excited for me. After I got my test results this morning and learned that everything was good, a couple different people discovered that fact and immediately got so excited. One young woman said, "I'd be dancing around the room!" and then she proceeded to tell others my good news. A man and his son at the next table perked up their ears and looked at me with hope in their eyes when they heard I'm still around 10 years later. Yay!!! I like that. I don't mind being an symbol of hope - even if it is through no merit of my own.