Coping with Cancer - The Unlikely Benefits


Its the end of the first cycle of chemotherapy. I've been taking the pills twice a day for two week and had a full dose of platinum stuck in my arm, and its time to give my body a rest. The first few days were pretty rough (and I've already had one false-alarm trip to A & E - in an ambulance!), but other than that everything's been pretty smooth going. The side effects aren't too severe, and although there's a long way to go, so far chemo could be worse. And that’s the subject of today's blog. Why having cancer is not as bad as I thought. Or, dare I say it, why cancer has actually been a positive experience. In no particular order, here's 10 reasons why:
  1. I really appreciate being alive. We may not appreciate this very often, but not dying is f#!cking brilliant.
  2. I have developed a healthy need for other people. I used to think that being solitary made me strong, but company make me feel way better.
  3. All my stupid daily worries have disappeared. That presentation at work, those clothes I need to wash, that interview I need to prepare for – none of it matters. If it goes well, if it happens, then great; if it doesn’t, then I really don't care.
  4. I have disability rights. If anyone pushes past me on the tube or mocks my seasonal knitwear – that's discrimination!
  5. I have a great excuse for going to bed at 9pm (or earlier!)
  6. It is impossible to put on weight when on chemo. Eat the cake – you'll need it!
  7. The all-over electrically charged sensation that comes in the cold makes me feel a bit like one of the X-men.
  8. I can wear jumpers, slippers, scarves and a woolly hat anywhere, at any time of the day.
  9. Work have said that if I'm worried about catching colds/flu, I can have my own office!
  10. The other night I woke up with a bad stomach and mild fever. Instead of having to sweat it out and make a groggy trip to Superdrug, I got to ride to hospital in an ambulance and have my choice of drugs. No waiting time chemotherapy patients! (NB: I did not have sepsis, just constipation. This was slightly embarrassing but hey, free laxatives!)
Okay, so there are loads of things that suck about cancer and chemotherapy. It can be a terrifying, painful and hugely debilitating experience, and some days you really feel like there is nothing worth carrying on for. But there is one thing that you hold onto. You're alive. No matter how you bad you feel, you still have the world there for you to enjoy. You can live, love, play, travel, party – do whatever you like, and there’s no reason why that should end anytime soon.
Happy living everyone. I'm off to take some laxatives and watch Neighbours. See you next week!
Next week – best conversation starters in the chemo ward (“so...is that a wig?”), sperm updates and top 10 cures for nausea.

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