CHEST Guidelines-Radiation-Therapy

Radiation-Therapy_chest

Pdf Summary

The provided text features two poems by Joseph Duemer, reflecting on personal experiences as a patient facing a mortal illness. The first poem, "Radiation Therapy," describes the process of undergoing radiation treatment. The speaker is wheeled through a labyrinth with flower photographs and music from a Sirius channel plays through overhead speakers. On a glass table under a device akin to a ray-gun, x-rays are directed at the speaker's hip and spine, where their ailment resides. The poem captures the routine of the treatment, the fleeting nature of the therapy's specifics, and ultimately, the uncertain hope symbolized by "cells of hope divide & multiply."<br /><br />The second poem, "Health Care Proxy," centers on the administrative side of managing an illness. The speaker recounts the meticulous process of preparing a health care proxy, which involves making decisions in anticipation of being unable to articulate one's medical choices in the future. The document undergoes signing, notarization, and witnessing, an ordeal compounded by the speaker's fragile state. During this process, there is palpable discomfort, masked by humor amongst strangers—a fleeting moment of shared human vulnerability in the face of mortality.<br /><br />Both poems, authored by Duemer—a retired professor from Clarkson University—convey the delicate intersection of the mundane and the profound that characterizes the patient experience. Through imagery and reflection, they offer insight into the emotional and existential aspects of dealing with serious illness, from the sterile treatment ward to the confronting procedural necessities.

Keywords

Joseph Duemer

poems

Radiation Therapy

Health Care Proxy

mortal illness

patient experience

emotional reflection

medical process

existential themes

treatment routine