view entire issue in pdf format - On The Issues Magazine

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Love & Death continued from pg. 7world on 86.We started in his office—asmall partitioned cubicle. He told meabout his work—how being an oncologistgot him used to his patientsdying—sort of. How the researchdidn't have the answers—yet—howmuch the medical staff depended onthe support systems generated bythe gay community and the City ofSan Francisco—how on some days itwas horrible—when they had about60 patients in the last stages of thedisease coming in weekly for treatment—howhe had to deal with thedepression—the rage—the incredibleunbelievable reality of 30-year-oldmen dying—I asked him about medication—anti-depressants. They didn't usethem. After all. the reality was thatthey djd_have a fatal illness (50 percentof patients diagnosed with AIDSare terminal)—what could drugs dofor that? I asked about his owndepression. He said it was difficult.For Gary, dealing with the dyingAIDS patients helped him cope withhis own anxiety about getting AIDS.He felt that if in fact he was everdiagnosed with AIDS he could dealwith it easier because he wasinvolved in helping others do thesame. Maybe.Then there was his bike andthe hills of San Francisco—that washis therapy—the rides alone in thehills when there was one phone calltoo many—one Bobby too many-Kaplan asked me whether Iwanted to go into the in-patient area—the place where the final stages ofthis deadly drama get played out.I wanted to see it—to be there,so we walked through the green hospitalcorridors together until wereached the area-There were only 12 beds—outsideof each room a bright pinkposter entitled INFECTION PRECAU-TIONS, listed directions for staffdealing with the patients—a checkoffsystemMASK GOWN GLOVES PUNC-TURE PROOF NEEDLE BOX IN ROOMNO PREGNANT WOMEN—and thenthere was the room with the handwrittensign outside that read NOFLOWERSNo flowers—it was then I feltI wanted to cry.The literature rack told volumes.Brochures such as "Copingwith AIDS'! "Getting Your Affairs in20Order", "A Bridge of Love and Affirmation","When A Friend Has AIDS","Affection Not Rejection"—spoke tothe love and support of the staff forthese patients.All of the workers on this wardwere volunteers, and most of themwere gay. I asked whether theirbeing gay was the primary reasonfor their wanting to work on thisward? "Not the only reason—but it'simportant." The issue of this disease—AIDS—had galvanized the gaycommunity—had created networksof ancillary support systems thatreached out to the established medicalcommunity—surrounded it andsupported and changed the conventionalavenues of medical treatment.A visual flash—the end of a bed—a thin almost skeletal leg stickingout of the white bed sheets—spasmodicallytwitching—the door partlyopen—someone sitting at thebedside—And then I felt the rage—onelives one life making choiceschoicesthat challenge the establishedorder, struggling to self-actualize,to break free of barriers thatdon't fit-Acquired Immune DeficiencySyndrome is an impairmentof the body's ability tofight disease, leaving an individualsusceptible to illnesses thatthe healthy immune systemcould protect against—opportunisticinfections caused byorganisms that don't usuallycause disease. The two mostfrequently reported are an otherwiserare form of cancercalled Kaposi's Sarcoma and aprotozoan infection of thelungs called pneumocystiscarinii pneumonia. AIDS is nottransmitted by casual socialcontact. It is believed to becaused by a virus carried in thebody fluids and may be transmittedby intimate sexual contact,sharing of I.V. needles, orby blood products. Womenmake up about seven percentof the total AIDS cases in theU.S.; 12 percent in Canada andFrance; and possibly as high as40 percent in Africa. To date,there are no reported cases oftransmission between lesbians.Loving and touching and experiencing—planningfutures—payingbills—living in and out of the societalnorms—and one morning just likeany other morning, coffee, acigarette—the daily rituals that givecomfortable habitual structureminoranchors. Then one morningyour throat hurts—or you realizethat you've been tired too long—orthere's the feeling that the gland inyour neck is swollen. One morningafternoon—oranytime—your worldradically changes. And there is noreason. And yet there is.Gary told me that his experienceof working with dying patientsshowed him that "angry people dieangry and actualized people growmore".As if AIDS were an enormouschallenge—facing death—learning tocope—to reach the acceptance levelwas something that not all attained.Gary's rage would come at astrange time. It would come whenone of his patients finally came tothe point of acceptance—and wouldtell him "I'm ready—I'm not fightinganymore". It was then that Garywould take to his bike—take to thehills—As if their acceptance was hisfailure—And I thought of my beginningsat CHOICES. In the early '70s whenabortion had not been legalizednationally but was legal in New York.When there was still all the shame,guilt, fear and stigma. How the communityof women reached out—howthey referred, educated, counseledand supported the women—and howthe medical community let themdoit—In the case of AIDS where medicaltechnology has not been able todevelop a definitive test to diagnoseor cure the disease—physicians soused to playing God with all theanswers have to face the reality oflimited answers—here also, the medicalcommunity out of necessity hasstepped aside for love—for the communityof caring and another definitionof healing. A modality thatshould ideally be utilized in all medicalcare, not only for the issues thattrouble or frighten us.We came back to the outpatientward. Kaplan was called tothe phone—more instructionsmorebad news to give.A patient passed by supportedby a staff member—thin, walking
We have received several requests to reprint pieces fromOn the Issues. We will honor such requests wheneverpossible. Please send your request on your letterhead,a copy of your publication, and your publicationcontaining our material when it is printed.Is This Your First Edition?If you are an individual receiving On the Issues for thefirst time and wish to be on our permanent mailing list,please send your name and address and you will continue toreceive our FREE publication.We are also interested in your comments, suggestionsand topics for future editions. The names of others whowould appreciate receiving On the Issues are welcome. Inanswer to readers' queries, our permanent lists are notrented, sold or exchanged for any purpose.Our 1986 calendar is entitledWomen: Pioneers and Activists.It honors women, famous andunknown, who have used theirtalents and expertise to thebenefit of ALL women for alltime. $3.00 eachChoicesWomen's Medical Center, Inc.97-77 Queens BoulevardForest Hills, New York 11374
Page 3 and 4: FLO KENNEDY andIRENE DAVALL: Foreve
Page 5 and 6: Psychologically and intellectually,
Page 7 and 8: ited on the sinner but now the Deit
Page 9 and 10: ACTIVISMWitness forWomen's LivesOn
Page 11 and 12: An article in Business Week discuss
Page 13 and 14: your entire issue. I knowthere are
Page 15 and 16: to the parade". How did she indeed?
Page 17 and 18: Moral LitmUS-PackWOOd continuedfrom
Page 19: Lady Physician continuedfrom pg. n\
Page 23 and 24: haltingly—and I knew that I wasth
Page 25 and 26: greatest number of persons. Accordi

view entire issue in pdf format - On The Issues Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?