I have chosen Oncology as my first area of focus. Morale among the staff seems generally good. Among the patients, those who are going to be discharged soon are upbeat. Most, though, are weighed down by the great iron ball of illness. They walk doggedly down the hall, a nurse at their side, dragging the ball behind them. Or they lie in bed with the ball pressing down on them, looking up, wondering what will happen next. I long to take that ball away, or at least lift it up and make it a little lighter.
