Cancer Schmantzer Update

Now that I have had the magical elixirs of a little coffee, a little food, and a little sleep, here is the latest update from the annals of Cancer Schmantzer. Once again I was in the throes of colonoscopy prepping. When I was in my 40s and had my first colonoscopy, drinking the prep was disgusting, but I also had a GI system that would allow me to eat or drink nearly anything, especially knowing that I wouldn’t have to drink this potion for another 10 years. However, now that my digestive system has become much more sensitive and now that I have had to do the cleansing routine THREE times the past 4 weeks, simply thinking about drinking this jug of nastiness causes my gag reflex to go into high gear.

While I was in between sips of drinking said prep, I thought of questions for my oncology team. For those of you who have never traversed the cancer landscape, one of the most frustrating aspects is that treatment is not like it used to be when my mother was being treated for cancer 32 years ago. At that time, chemotherapy was pretty much one size fits all where oncologists blasted the patient’s whole body. With all of the advancements in recent years, treatment is now personalized and targeted for optimum results.

The purpose of yesterday’s colonoscopy was so that my doctors could determine whether or not the cancer originated in my colon; now they are reasonably sure that it actually did originate in my ovary. So now they will consult with my gynecological/oncologist (whom I trust implicitly). The good news is that a treatment plan will be coming soon.

The cold, dreary, rainy weather has not added much to my situation. My feeling of being more than a little out of control seems to be running parallel with how out of control our political climate seems to be. Despite the medical news that keeps coming my way, I am heartened by the good people in my life who have brought me what Wordsworth called “the best portion of a good [person’s} life: [the] little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.” Through a great deal of darkness, my family and friends and my medical team are helping me to learn patience and to look for the silver lining.

While I was receiving first class care from my physicians, I was struck by the irony of the spineless House GOP members who were busy patting themselves on their collective backs as they celebrated National Day of Prayer and then voted to repeal and replace Obamacare. While I realize that most of this was political theater, I am still appalled at the unseemliness of their giving one another high fives about cutting health care from millions of people while the Dems were busy singing and taunting them.

What the hell is wrong with these people?  Has winning become more important than being human?

Since today is Cinco de Mayo, I plan to look for some guacamole and a margarita to help me find my happy place.