[7:17pm]
I originally wasn't going to post today -- the world was just too bleak. My stomach pain/queasiness/discomfort/whatever was distressing every aspect of my life -- not like you need to vomit, but that you're just sick in the stomach.
I spent basically the entire day trying to combat it. Chugging Maalox, repeatedly going to the bathroom, sleeping, lying still, concentrating... anything! Eventually, I game to realize that the only practical strategy was unconsciousness.
So, when poor Liz came to visit me, I wasn't very good company. I pretty much slept most of the time. But what else could I do?
What's worse is that I began to get depressed about this. 3 more weeks of this sort of stomach sickness was an unbearable thought -- but what could be done?
Enter the brilliant doctors and their brilliant drugs.
It turns out, that my GI tract is all messed up due to the chemo. So, it's not your normal "flu" like symptoms that is causing my queasiness. The doctors prescribed a gnarly painkiller called Dilaudid, and it works great! All of a sudden, I feel like my life has returned to me! I can concentrate enough to type in my blog, or watch a bit of TV, or play some video games -- it's wonderful!
I'm staying on this stuff. And it's not recreational or anything like that, I'm just happy to not be suffering. It's Buddhist philosophy: "Without suffering, there is no happiness." [Edit: Apparently I'm completely wrong here, so, instead just consider the quote my personal philosophy] Well, my absence of suffering is making me damn happy right now.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Austin,
I love your since of humor, not to mention how glad I am that your feeling better.
Jane
Seconded! I'm so relieved they found something that would help. :)
Dilaudid! That is an opiate. In fact, it is essentially an improved version of heroin. Very very strong stuff. Definitely good for relieving any kind of spasms of the digestive tract. Derived from real poppies. They are definitely intending that you feel no pain.
Hmm, they indend me to feel no pain... I can appreciate that :P
Good Morning Austin,
Good to hear that they got your meds worked out. That Buddhist quote is wrong - just wrong. May this be the end of your pain and queasiness.
So, today is it!!! Day ZERO! Your new birthday! You've had a tough battle getting here, but you made it. Way to go!
Thanks for posting a picture. = D
New birthday, eh? Well, I suppose I'll have to give you some sort of present...
Oh! How about this!
http://www.thebookofbiff.com/
I don't know if I told you this or not, but I read a lot of webcomics. This one just seems to be something you'd find funny.
Happy new birthday!
-TJ
Saying "Without pain there is no pleasure" is probably more Taoist than Buddhist. That's the Yin-Yang thing. A Buddhist would probably assert the nonexistence of pain and pleasure both. If you are asserting the duality of experience classification, then you might be leaning towards Aristotelianism. Remember the essence of Buddhism is summed up in the phrase, "Things are not as they appear to be, nor are they otherwise." This is just a restatement of your own feelings about your current condition, which are in effect, "I feel much more like I do now than I did before." :-) But pardon my pop philosophy. Hope you are doing well today. Is this your stem cell day?
Woo Hoo - Happy re-birthday!!
Good to 'see' you too, Austin!!
Sorry to hear that you've not been feeling so great, but TAKE THE MEDS!! Morphine was Wullie's best friend for almost 2 weeks!!
And I hope they get you your own room soon - nothing like a bit of privacy when you're feeling lousy!...........here's to those baby stem cells doing their 'thang'.........Vx
I see that the stem cell apheresis machine that Wullie used was identical to yours, Austin. See photo.
Looks like it!
Post a Comment