Double Duty~

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There are countless stories sitting in the upholstered chairs in Dana Farber Cancer Center's waiting rooms, feet resting on worn spots in the carpet, where so many other feet have rested in the past. Most stories will go untold.

But sometimes a person opens up and shares a little.

Bruce and I were seated diagonally behind a man who was waiting to be called for his blood draw. I noticed a little Chihuahua peering at me from beneath the man’s legs; he was drinking from a PETCO watering dish. When the man scooped him up, I realized there was a larger dog lying on the floor. 

So I sauntered by to get a cup of coffee. Actually, I didn't care about the coffee; it was the dogs I wanted to see.The man gave me a smile so I asked about the dogs, which, he said, are trained companion dogs.

He told me he was at one time a nurse, but he almost died on the job when he unexpectedly passed out and had to be intubated. What a way to find out you're allergic to latex! He’s also allergic to peanuts and other chemicals.

His big dog has been trained to detect signs of his master going into anaphylactic shock from exposure to these substances up to a minute before he might pass out. This gives him time to grab his Epi Pen and give himself a jab of Epinephrine. The tiny dog that stays snuggled in his jacket has been trained to flip out and sound a warning when he detects peanuts or latex. 

Sometimes when you already have it rough, cancer gets tossed into the mix. Why is that? And sometimes there is still plenty to smile about.