At the Health Alternatives Office

Yesterday morning my husband John and I dropped our 11 year old daughter Veronica off at a friend's house, and drove through the cold gray countryside to Dewey, Oklahoma. It is about an hour and forty minutes from Joplin. We arrived at the "Health Alternatives" office and sat down in the comfortable recliners to await my turn at getting an IV started. Dr. Allison has one room arranged with about twelve recliners in a circle. He doesn't take appointments, it is first come, first serve. When we arrived there were four others there, but only two were getting treatments. Another couple arrived after we did.

It is a very informal atmosphere at Health Alternatives. People chat while there are getting their drips. Dr. Allison placed my IV and got the solution of vitamin C, hydrogen peroxide, and a trace of selenium started. He is very good at placing the catheter; I noticed a little pain as the needle went into my vein, but it wasn't bad. He told me I have "great veins" to work with. I always thought the veins on my arms and hands were rather unsightly, but I guess now I should be grateful for their large, prominent size. After he had me set up, he moved on to the next person.

The conversation turned to Obama. I thought: "Uh-oh. I'm in Oklahoma redneck country here. I hope they don't start saying stupid stuff about Obama." Then the man who came in after me made a very racist joke about Obama, and everybody thought it was hilarious. I could feel the ire rising in me. Especially since being diagnosed with cancer, I've found that I don't hold back my thoughts as much as I used to. "I'm sorry," I cut in, loudly enough for all to hear in the room, "I find that joke very offensive. I spent many hours trying to get Obama elected, and I do not appreciate racist jokes at his expense. It is very inappropriate! Please change the subject."

There was a rather stunned silence, but the man who told the joke nodded his head. The conversation then drifted on to dogs, and the kind of dog the Obama's might choose, then to dogs we have, and funny dog stories. I joined into the storytelling, hoping everyone wasn't too mad at me for lashing out. Dr. Allison came over to me after he finished setting the other man up, and he smiled. (Dr. Allison's smile would light up any room--it is broad and friendly, and would put anyone at ease.) He said softly to me, "You have to understand this is a very conservative area; I doubt you'll find many Obama supporters around here." I said, "I know. I'm sorry, but I'm very touchy about people making racist comments about Obama." He smiled again. "I understand," he said.

The rest of the time (about one and a half hours) we all chatted about "safe" subjects, and the time went by fast. As we were leaving, the man and his wife were also headed out the door. He turned to me and apologized for the joke. Then he said, "I voted for Obama. I think he will make a fine president. He is so intelligent and well spoken. I was just making a joke." I was surprised, and relieved as well. I told him that jokes like the one he told really are not funny; they make fun of a whole group of people in a derogatory manner, and only add to bigotry. He agreed that maybe I was right. We all left as friends.

I realized that I need to be careful about judging people! I just assumed that this man was against Obama because of his appearance and because of the joke. As it turned out, he was just a bit insensitive. I think we both learned something from that encounter!

I feel very good about starting my vitamin C treatments. I know that it will be a slow process, but I hope to see a noticeable reduction in the size of the tumor within a few weeks. I started measuring it with a tape measure. It is now 3-1/2" x 3-1/2". The edges are easy to feel, and I wrap the tape over the top and start the measurement from the edge.