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| Gilda / SNL |
"The goal is to live a full, productive life even with all that ambiguity. No matter what happens, whether the cancer never flares up again or whether you die, the important thing is that the days that you have had you will have lived." Gilda Radner
Funny lady Gilda Radner lost her brave battle with ovarian cancer in May of 1989 at the age of 42. Her philosophy and humor have helped many people cope with their own cancer experience ever since. Gilda's Club was founded in her memory by husband Gene Wilder. Her legacy lives on in each of the Gilda's Club locations worldwide. I was a much younger oncology nurse when Gilda was going through her own cancer journey. She faced the days between diagnosis and death with dignity and grace and left words of wisdom for all those who would experience the cancer journey after her.
Today, I spent the day in a classroom refreshing my chemotherapy knowledge. It's been years since I worked in an oncology setting and gave chemo. The passion for oncology nursing has always been there. Today, I realized that most of what I learned about chemotherapy is still there as well. And Gilda's words kept running through my head...
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| Gilda Radner |
I officially became a member of the oncology unit yesterday, February 13th. Today and tomorrow are chemo refresher class days and then I can get down to the real art of oncology nursing. I am so anxious to get on the unit and begin to do what my heart loves most.
If Gilda's goal was "to live a full and productive life" then my goal is to help my oncology patients to find a way to do just that with grace, dignity and hope. "No matter what happens."
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| Entrance to one of the Gilda Club Locations |
Do you know about her last visit to the hospital? Kind of a creepy story really. She was one funny lady - it was so sad that she died that young.
ReplyDeleteYes,Dani, I've read about that last trip to the hospital. The oncology nurse in me can't help but wonder if some of that behavior was perhaps the cancer having taken up residence in her brain. The cancer survivor side of me can relate to how much of a crazy-maker those follow up scans, etc are... and it makes me wonder if one day I'll behave as oddly. Yes, it is a very sad thing that such a gifted person had to die so young. Have you ever read "Bunny Bunny" by Alan Zweibel?
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Lee. I celebrate with you that today you return to what you love. How life should be spent!
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