"Going Up"

"Going Up". These were the words Chris first heard when he rang Julie on Tuesday afternoon. They weren't spoken by Julie however, but came from an unfamiliar voice in the backround. Maddy & her mum were returning to the ward in the lift, having visited the shop for various snacky foods,....flapjack, coke, chocolate etc... Maddy had a few hours free from her drip trolley today and, compared with the last few days, she got about a bit, also managing a visit to the day room to watch TV and chat with other patients and families. Despite having eaten next to nothing over the last week, she has maintained her weight, albiet a little on the 'slim' side. The TPN has helped her, combined, with a rather sedentary lifestyle. Today, she's been 'snacking' for England and is looking and sounding much livelier - perhaps she might even put on a few pounds now. Her neutrophil count has rebounded fabulously - she is no longer neutropaenic. When she starts to get better, she gets better quickly.
The anonymous voice in the lift could have been talking about Maddy as easily as describing the lift's direction.
The best line though, came from the girl herself when, describing the experience of dealing with the dreaded COPADM cycles of her chemo protocol, now falling behind her, she said, "That wasn't too bad,....I was expecting something much worse.....".
Perhaps her memory is failing - unlike Julie's; she just dropped her head into her hands at the shock of what she'd just heard.
You've got to admire the spirit though.
Anyone remember the Black Knight sketch from Monty Python & the Holy Grail ?