Category Archives: hospitals

stupid things people say

25 Sunday Oct 2009

Posted by in cancer, chemo, friends, hospitals, humour

≈ 30 Comments

duck billed platitude

My list of the top things people should not say to cancer patients (some pinched from elsewhere ‘cos I can totally relate!) ~ what next

The other day Colon Club member what next wrote a post called “the stupid things that people say” and included a very good list of stupid comments and witty responses. And I enjoyed it so much that I’m stealing it. 🙂

I find I do get annoyed with the constant platitudes. So sue me. I’ve lost quite a few “friends” this past year and a half because they felt uneasy about my way of coping and especially about my not needing or wanting what they felt like giving me. I know that some of you will say that people mean well and are often just at a loss as to what to say. But frankly, the best thing to say in this sort of situation is … “oh dear, I don’t know what to say!” To which the person with cancer can simply reply… “That’s okay, you don’t have to say anything”. Or in my case, “That’s okay, you don’t have to say anything, just send money”. 😉

You can read what next’s list below…

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hernia!

20 Tuesday Oct 2009

Posted by in food & drink, friends, health & happiness, hospitals

≈ 20 Comments

hernia

After going a whole week with the scar area above my belly button being very sore and red, I decided it was time to get it checked out. Especially as a sizable lump had appeared over the weekend. So yesterday Flor picked me up around 6pm and took me to the hospital.  At first we went up to the “digestivo” ward to try and find one of my surgeons, but none of them were on duty at that time. What memories that brought back, seeing all the rooms again and the people in their beds (shudder!).  After that we went over to Emergency and got on the list, then went to Nuclear Medicine to see if any of The Team were there. Imagine my relief when I saw that both Pilar and Isabel were still at work…

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a year later…

12 Monday Oct 2009

Posted by in cancer, change, chemo, diet & nutrition, fitness, friends, health & happiness, hope, hospitals

≈ 46 Comments

past-present-future

It was just over a year ago that I was told my cancer had become inoperable, that they could give me chemo to slow down the inevitable, and that without treatment I had maybe a year to live. I later found out that this idiot oncologist hadn’t even read my biopsy results, she had just assumed (as the surgeons had done) that the “buckshot” mess found on my peritoneum during my second operation was cancer –  it turned out to be old scar tissue. Anyhow, this is one of the many reasons she is now my ex-oncologist.

Since then I have had another recurrence, have gone through chemo again (April-July) and am now living on a “wait & watch” basis, with scans being done every three months…

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land squid (mammogram)

01 Thursday Oct 2009

Posted by in cancer, chemo, health & happiness, hospitals, life stuff

≈ 11 Comments

mammogram

I saw my oncologist yesterday and got the low-down on my situation.  Well, sort of. Which is that I am on “wait and watch” until the next CT scan. I have another appointment with the onc in November … and that’s all I know. Oh, except that I have a hernia from one of my previous ops and might have to have another operation for that (??!). Seriously, I was just told this like it was nothing and was asked  – “You mean the surgeons never rescheduled with you after your last appointment?” (in January).  And no, they hadn’t. And then the onc suddenly told me I had to lose weight because of the hernia. Like duh. She never once mentioned this was important in terms of having cancer, which I believe it is. So I told her I was on the case, going to the gym every day and changing my diet …

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sword of damocles

23 Wednesday Sep 2009

Posted by in cancer, change, chemo, friends, health & happiness, hope, hospitals

≈ 5 Comments

sword_of_damocles

The other day my friend Gaelen wrote a very thoughtful blog post called The Reluctant (Cancer) Warrior, and asked at the end of it…

Do you like the battle metaphors for cancer, the idea of being a cancer warrior? Do you see living with cancer as a war? What is the cancer metaphor that works for you?

And it came to me that the metaphor that works best for me is the Sword of Damocles. Just hanging there, you know? And you never know when it’s going to fall and take your life away…

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