We had to leave home around 5:00pm to take on traffic to get to the pharmacy on the hospital grounds to purchase the anti-emetic drug (as seen in photo below) and take it at the precise time,
as well as stock up on a few other prescription drugs that are being depleted at a rapid rate. Over 2000₪ (AUD 700) later we went to meet with our trusty liaison officer (Isaac) to collect 42 days-worth of chemotherapy drug from. I won’t even begin to tell you how much this drug costs to purchase. As you can see from the photo, there are a significant number of boxes, each containing a bottle filled with all sorts of padding and only five (5) capsules.
While waiting around for the radiotherapy, we had a chance to speak more with Isaac (photo of him with Maria) and get to know him a little better.
He has a heart of gold and has been a huge blessing to us. While Maria and Isaac were chatting, I took a photo of one of the patients (actually, it's a cat) walking through the information / reception area (nowhere is sacred!).
We had a Russian/Israeli nurse who provided some information in Hebrew to Isaac, who was trying to translate, while the nurse held Maria by the hand and whisked her off to her radiotherapy session. Isaac briefed me on the way back to the waiting area. The Centre was very quiet this time of evening.
No longer than 15 minutes passed when Maria re-appeared. The therapy only took a few minutes. She didn’t feel a thing, but was a bit emotional as she said it struck her while laying there that these people work all hours in an effort to save people’s lives, including hers. Isaac explained earlier that the machine used cost over USD 97 million (only a few around the world), and is able to do a whole range of functions. They have purchased a second machine, which they need to construct an entire floor for to house. The precision of these machines sounds phenominal! This will be of relief to Ben as he has been concerned that someone might bump the machine when in use, causing the "rays" to damage the good part of mummy's brain.
We fought through traffic and got home some time after 8:30pm. I went and picked the kids up from friends almost around the corner. After a super-late dinner (second one for the kids), Ben & Gabi crashed into bed around 9:30. It’s now around midnight and Maria headed off to bed a little while ago. Let’s pray that her sleep is better than last night, and the night before that, and the night before that…
