“I always get malignant and benign confused.”
That was my excuse when someone asked me why I had a medical dictionary. It wasn’t a total lie. I do get the two diagnosis confused, but it’s not why I own a medical dictionary. It may be the reason why I didn’t become a doctor; there’s no room for errors. In the broad scheme of things, educators save more lives and there is room for error, as long as there’s opportunity to improve from the errors.
…but I digress…
I needed a Medical Dictionary to look up information on Leukemia. I wasn’t sure what it was or what the symptoms and treatments for it entailed. Besides my parents, the only other family members I really care for are my grandmother, one uncle, and one aunt. Everyone else is either blatantly two-faced or just dead beats. My uncle, my mother’s baby brother, was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. I wasn’t sure how severe the situation was so I bought a medical dictionary and looked it up. It states the different types of Leukemia. That is requires frequent blood transfusions. A severe case, Acute 1, gives the patient a life expectancy of a matter of weeks. Another, Chronic 1, gives a patient a “median survival expectancy; approx. 11-15 years.”
Distracted, I highlight in my dictionary and close the book, needing time to think about this.
“Whatcha’ doin’ with a medical dictionary?” a girl sitting at an adjacent bar stool asks.
“I’m studying to be a nurse.”
Cutting the tip of a cigar, I pull out my lighter.
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