One-Half Teaspoon

December 26, 2020

Aileen Holthaus writes about her first day of chemotherapy for follicular lymphoma, and the challenges it presented.

Aileen Holthaus writes about her first day of chemotherapy for follicular lymphoma, and the challenges it presented.

One-Half Teaspoon:

After

first day of chemo

poked, prodded

poison poured in,

after

six hours tethered

to infusion chair,

a necessary assault

on my cells,

after

reaching refuge

of home,

realized sum total

of energy left

in my whole body

was one-half teaspoon.

Used whole amount

crawling into bed.

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