New Friends and a Dead Battery

We made a new friend today.  His name is Casey and he is scheduled to have a bone marrow transplant the same day as Willie.  I noticed him on Monday when he came into the radiation waiting room.  He was wearing a pair of heavy, black, military boots that stood in stark contrast to his blue hospital gown.  He stands well over 6 feet tall and is as broad as he is tall.  I have watched him over the past few days and marveled at how the radiation has seemed to have no effect on him.  He whizzes into each appointment, pulling his carry-on bag of fluid behind him like it was invisible, then sits by himself and drums his fingers on his legs to a beat that only he can hear.
Tonight it was just he and I in the waiting room and I interrupted his finger drumming to ask him about himself.  He informed me that he is 22 years old, from the central valley and has been battling cancer for a year and a half now.  On his 21st birthday he got diagnosed with a cancerous tumor on his lung that led to radiation and chemotherapy.  The mass shrunk quickly and he had 6 months of complete remission last year before he developed 2 different kinds of leukemia. 
"I'm an overachiever," he said flatly "I didn't stop at one kind of cancer, I had to get 3."
I wasn't sure if it was mean to be funny, but I smiled back at him
"Well you must be excited about the transplant then.  It should be a cure for you!"
"Yeah," he shrugged "I've been on life support three times and I'm not even supposed to be alive now.  The way I see it, if the transplant works, it works, if it doesn't then it's over for me."
It was the saddest thing to hear.  I didn't know how to respond.
"Well at least it is hope." I said softly, but I think it was more to myself than to him.
"That's how my family is," he continued "they are all positive and say that it's going to work and that there is so much hope.  I don't know if Will feels the way I do, but me being the one with cancer, I don't really think that way.  I've heard the numbers and the realities and I know what can happen so we might as well be realistic."
He was wearing his filter mask which covered most of his face but his eyes; eyes that were far too sad for a 22 year old.
Willie came out and joined the rest of the conversation as we talked about the hospital and the plans to check in on Saturday.  He may end up being Will's roommate, we'll just have to wait and see.
As we walked out of the radiation clinic I filled Willie in on the conversation.  I told him about Casey's dismal feelings on the transplant and asked Willie if he felt the same.
"I've never been on life support," he said "I don't know how I would feel if I had been."
That's something I admire about Willie.  He is always careful to consider another persons circumstance in regard to their behavior.  Most of the time he helps me realize that I have never been in situations that most of the people I complain about are in so how can I judge?
"You know Casey has been dealing with cancer for almost two years," I said as we stepped into the elevator "When I hear stories like that it makes me think we have really been blessed that it's been such a short time for us."
"Yeah," he said "We are lucky."
It seems wrong to group cancer and luck in the same sentence, but we really have been lucky.  When all is said and done we will walk away from cancer after only one short year of mingling with it.  I will take that year with gratitude in contrast to the countless years some people deal with the awful disease.
We got in the car to drive home and decided to take the scenic route since last night we got stuck in rush hour traffic on our way home.  I stopped at the grocery store and Willie waited in the car.  When I got back in the car the engine wouldn't turn over. 
The battery was dead.
Worst.
Timing.
EVER!
I pulled out my phone and made two quick phone calls.  One to the car rental place, the other to a mechanic shop.  Both places closed in 10 minutes so I had to act fast to make sure it really was the battery that was the problem.
I went back into the store and asked the service desk if there was anyone who could help us.  The manager agreed to jump us from her own car.  We were parked with the front end next to a barrier so we needed to either move our car or move the car next to us.  The manager had the front desk page the owner of the car next to us and soon a dark haired Asian lady came running out.
"What happen to car?" she asked in heavy accented English.
"Nothing is wrong," the manager assured, "We just need you to move your car so I can help this lady jump her car."
She just stared at us, clearly not understanding.
"My car is broken," I said motioning "It does not drive."
"Oh...." she nodded, "But what wrong my car.  It get hit?"
"No, " the manager said, patiently "your car is fine, we just need you to move it or allow her to use your battery to jump her car."
She stared back at us blankly until the manager started using hand motions
"I need you to park your car there," she said making hand motions for driving and pointing across the lot to an open space.
"Ok,"she said back "my car ok?"
"Yes," we said back in unison, then she got in her car and moved.
The manager parked her car and hooked up the cables and our car started right up.
What a relief!
And what an awesome manager.  I can highly recommend the outstanding service we received at Whole Foods Market in Palo Alto.  It is the place to go for all your organic food and dead battery needs!
Willie is feeling pretty good today.  The nausea meds keep him pretty sleepy so he slept most of the day, but at least he wasn't feeling yucky.  He ate a muffin and some soup today which both felt like a victory for me.
Only one more day of radiation!
Goodnight all.

(Sorry no picture today.  For some reason it won't let me upload any tonight!)