gwyn: (steve rogers fullhouse)
[personal profile] gwyn
I haven't really cried since they told me I had cancer; I've gotten a little leaky in the eyes but no real crying. Apparently all it takes to open the floodgates is to work really hard on a fic-podfic collaboration, even when I was trying to process the news and my original teammate went AWOL, and post it and get absolutely zero comments. Amazing. Just…nothing. I finally gave up checking email and went to bed when sineala was kind enough to leave one for it. It's a new record low, and apparently that was the stimulus it required to cry.

Just reminded me more than ever that I'm going through this alone. I appreciate the comments from my other post, I do, but the thing is, what I'm talking about is being alone in real space. Sitting at a computer typing into the void or texting or whatever are physically painful acts for me, so all the listening in the world doesn't change the fact that I don't have anyone here for me and I'm disinclined toward more physical pain just to whine on the aether. People lead busy lives, it's the end of summer when everyone has plans--and my plans just happen to revolve around something really unfortunate that has inconvenient timing. Almost everyone I know who's had cancer got through it with the help of a partner or family member.

In other news, the "advanced recovery" nutrition drinks are really as awful as everyone says; they're so grossly sweet on top of this weird musky-metallic taste, ugh. I have to drink three of them a day, and bring the log sheet with me to surgery, like a test. I bought the apple juice I'm supposed to drink day of surgery but apparently no one sells apple juice in less than enormous bottles, and picked up the antibiotics and laxative drink. I was so hoping it might be a different laxative drink than the one I had before, which made me vomitous, but it's the same thing. Someone told me you could put it in tequila mixer to make it more palatable, but it's not so much the taste the bothers me (it just tastes like bad gatorade) but the consistency. For the surgery they apparently want you to concentrate the drinking of it over two limited time frames, which makes it worse; it took me hours to get through it last time because I kept getting the heaves.

All this while I'm supposed to be laundering everything I own that will touch me after the special shower-soap showers. I'm not sure if it'd be better to just have the hospital hose you down in a Silkwood shower when you check in--for the gallbladder surgery, I'd spent six hours vomiting before going to the ER, where I had to wait in the lobby for over an hour lying on the floor because it was the only way I wasn't in searing pain. I figure that's about as unsanitary as it gets, and I seemed to be fine. I understand why they do this--my mom's death was probably caused by an infection, sepsis of some kind that she'd picked up in the hospital in chemo--but man does it feel like overkill.

I'm going to try to post the next chapter of the Hollywood Steve WIP tomorrow, but I've written down where I was hoping to take it, and the three followup stories I wanted to write, and sending to minim calibre in case something happens to me. I hate the thought of that not getting finished, and so hopefully either she can, or she can find someone else to, write the rest of it. If only I could find someone to finish the Buffy WIP I abandoned years ago after sis_r died. I figure things are in good hands with min, though. God knows she's listened to me blather about this, and helped me with it so much in beta.

Date: 2017-08-27 07:14 pm (UTC)
cesperanza: (Default)
From: [personal profile] cesperanza
It blows, Gwyn, I'm so so sorry. I'm sorry more people aren't around either virtaully because August or in real spacetime. I'm hoping this will not be nearly as bad as the gall bladder, which is notoriously painful: the stories I've heard about colon are different, but nothing's easy if you're feeling shaky and alone. Apple juice also comes in juice boxes for what it's worth, if you didn't look at the stuff for kids! That might be about as much as you can stand anyway. Try to make fic out of this, is all I can tell you. Tell yourself a better story than you're starring in at the moment - you're a better writer than reality is!

Date: 2017-08-27 07:40 pm (UTC)
mackiemesser: Ollie (Default)
From: [personal profile] mackiemesser
Why is the stuff you have to drink for medical purposes always so disgusting? You'd think they'd have the tech to make it potable.../rhetorical

I'm really sorry this is such a difficult time and situation. I don't think I'd be holding it together as well as you are in the same situation. I know it probably doesn't seem that you are, but...

I dunno what to say about the pic/pod fic stuff, other than it seems like fandom's kinda shit right now. Fuck 'em.

Don't want to be annoying positive/motivational person, so I'll just say that I have confidence in you and your ability to pull through, and I'm sending all the luck I can your way.

Date: 2017-08-27 07:48 pm (UTC)
batwrangler: Just for me. (Default)
From: [personal profile] batwrangler
I'm sorry I'm on the wrong side of the country. I have similar issues with being isolated in my local geographical area and it sucks even when you're not dealing with difficult, exhausting, scary things like cancer.

Date: 2017-08-27 09:40 pm (UTC)
kass: Siberian cat on a cat tree with one paw dangling (Default)
From: [personal profile] kass
Oh, honey, I am so sorry. I am thinking of you with love.

Date: 2017-08-27 10:37 pm (UTC)
kore: (Default)
From: [personal profile] kore
I just wanted to say I'm still thinking of you and hoping with all my heart the growth is benign and confined to the colon and you don't have to go through anything more after this. I love you and am sorry you're going through so much shit alone.

Date: 2017-08-27 11:35 pm (UTC)
amalthia: (Default)
From: [personal profile] amalthia
Hugs and sorry people who listen to podfics aren't leaving more feedback.

Date: 2017-08-28 03:44 am (UTC)
st_aurafina: Katara hugging her grandmother (Avatar: Katara hugs)
From: [personal profile] st_aurafina
*hugs* Good luck with all the drinking of things - I know they're really nasty. I hope the tequila mixer does something to mitigate the texture.

Date: 2017-08-28 02:02 pm (UTC)
grammarwoman: (Default)
From: [personal profile] grammarwoman
*HUGS* I'm sorry that everything is being awful all at once. That really blows.

Date: 2017-08-28 04:50 pm (UTC)
elynross: (Default)
From: [personal profile] elynross
Honey, I am SO SORRY I couldn't make it after all, and that I haven't written to you. I've been in almost complete self-isolation mode, but that doesn't excuse anything. I'm thinking of you often, but I wish I could be there to help you through this and even just hold your hand. I suspect I'd be in a pretty similar state, with everyone I know f2f having their own families and plans and such, so my heart just aches for you. :(

Date: 2017-08-28 07:58 pm (UTC)
talitha78: (sunflower  by jazzy_peaches)
From: [personal profile] talitha78
*hugs*

Date: 2017-08-29 07:57 pm (UTC)
dorinda: From a French postcard of 1902: a woman in hat, coat, cravat, and walking stick writes on a pad of paper. (writer)
From: [personal profile] dorinda
It's why my ultimate Dream Technology from science fiction is the Star Trek-style transporter. It's still so frustrating not to be able to have in-person close friends, without long plane trips and big expenses and difficult schedules and missed work and all that.

I saw you posted the next Hollywood Steeb chapter! My hat is off to you, getting that out despite all the other bullshit you gotta deal with right now. Well done. *hug*

Date: 2017-09-03 05:52 pm (UTC)
anoel: anoel lioness (anoel lioness)
From: [personal profile] anoel
I'm so sorry you don't have more people around you in RL *hugs* I wish there was more I could do to help and I hope you remember how wonderful you are even when times are tough. Are there any groups for people going through stuff like this that the hospital could connect you with? Also maybe look at meetup.com, when my mom died, I found a meetup group for motherless daughters and it was really helpful to talk to other people who had gone through a similar situation. I'm always here for you if you need anything <3

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