You might think this is clean up on the baby aisle. Nope! We could barely get thru the cancer conference, a procedure or a consult without all of our phones blaring the emergency signal this week. Truth- I had to look it up! It’s severe weather impacting the hospital and at level 3 the highest risk. Or… we could have looked out the windows as “Helene” barreled by Florida. Tragic devastation, lives lost and many changed forever. Generations to rebuild and the dramatic rescue at the Tennessee hospital with 50 people on the roof will see that hospital lost completely in a rural town that depends- jobs, medical care, life saving.

The alerts continued to screech even when we were home. Doctors and nurses are used to living on high alert. Patients can “crash” at any moment- right in front of you, hence the need for advance life support training. But while Father Time takes his toll (as Jeremy said this week… Doc don’t get old, its awful! Hmm he is 10 years younger than me), it’s Mother Nature with the upper hand. She doles out chaos and challenge to the unsuspecting. As the sun now mocks, the scenes are chilling along Helene’s path.

Here is what happened in the center on the East coast: While there was significant debris, computers down for a few hours, but no damage and the center was open. The impact however for patients far from the hurricane was the challenge. John begs off therapy next week to help his sister in Tampa. She is also getting cancer treatments and now has a flooded house and car. Terry didn’t even come in- she just phoned while driving to her daughter, a single mother with a baby in devastated Atlanta. A nurse called off work to travel to her parents who retired to Tennessee, if not in the “eye” , sadly in sight. Shock is reverberating throughout the southeast US. The hundreds miles wide storm upended lives far away from landfall, with family and friends dropping everything, even their own cancer treatments to help. I am always impressed with the altruism patients show. You would think they would be self centered when diagnosed. But staring a life threatening disease in the eye, seems to make many more aware of everyone’s vulnerabilities. Compassion and concern are selfless.

God Bless all those suffering and the many family, friends, neighbors and workers who are digging in to help others. Cancer care in these situations becomes a small part of patients’ lives and reminds us all, that as a hand of hope is extended to others in harms way, Mother Nature also abides within.