The Parents We get home from the doctor’s, unsure of what to do next. I send Ramona to the gym so she can settle her mind by stressing out her muscles. “I’m okay,” I tell her. “There’s nothing we can do right now, anyway. Take care of yourself. That’s going to be important.” “What are [...]
Posts Tagged ‘cancer and humor’
The Parents
Posted in The Parents, tagged adult children of divorce, cancer and humor, divorce, family estrangement, ovarian cancer on November 12, 2010 | 9 Comments »
Lord of the Rings
Posted in Lord of the Rings, tagged cancer and comedy, cancer and humor, nieces and nephews, not having children on October 19, 2010 | 4 Comments »
Lord of the Rings Eight-year-old Tim stares up at me, blue eyes bugging out of his head. What are you doing here, my nephew is thinking. It is the middle of the school day, a teacher has pulled him out of recess, and I am standing in the hallway. I am also hairless, which is [...]
Treatment Day One
Posted in Treatment Day One, tagged cancer and humor, chemo, gay relationships, ovarian cancer, xena and gabrielle on October 1, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Treatment Day One The television above the foot of the bed distracts me from the nurse with her intravenous needle. Xena: Warrior Princess is on, as it is every morning on the Oxygen network. The show has become my morning coffee ritual. Roll carefully out of bed, hand against my abdominal bandage. Make coffee. Watch [...]
Free Floating Anxiety
Posted in Free Floating Anxiety, tagged cancer and humor, chemo, gay relationships, ovarian cancer on September 3, 2010 | 6 Comments »
Free Floating Anxiety Ramona has not come home. She’s two hours late. I fight panic. She’s been in a car accident. She was car jacked. She’s been kidnapped. She’s at the hospital and can’t call me because she’s in a coma and the ER people have no way to contact me. When she was a [...]
Beyond Basic
Posted in Beyond Basic, tagged cancer and comedy, cancer and humor, gay relationships, ovarian cancer on August 15, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Beyond Basic When we bought our oversized, many pillowed couch – the couch I now spend my recovery days on – the furniture saleswoman described it as “aubergine,” a fancy name for eggplant and an even fancier name for purple. A visitor has yet to enter our home and comment, “What a lovely aubergine couch [...]
New Clinical Diagnosis
Posted in New Clinical Diagnosis, tagged cancer and comedy, cancer and humor, hair loss, ovarian cancer on July 23, 2010 | 3 Comments »
A New Clinical Diagnosis There really are no hairs on my head. Every hour the bathroom mirror confirms this. My scalp is shiny smooth. Vanity brutally surrendered. When I graduated from college, a fellow student gave me a new hairdryer. “You must have worn the other one out by now.” My hair obsession was a [...]
Preparation
Posted in Preparation, tagged cancer and comedy, cancer and humor, chemo, hair loss, ovarian cancer on July 5, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Preparation Wigs are a nonstarter. Acute surgical menopause hit almost the moment my ovaries departed and the thought of a wig on my scalp, perspiration from a raging hot flash pooling underneath, turns my insides queasy while my fingernails reach up to scratch phantom itches. It’s been six days since the first chemo treatment and [...]
Inside Job
Posted in Inside Job, tagged burst abdominal incision, cancer and comedy, cancer and humor, hysterectomy, ovarian cancer on June 16, 2010 | 4 Comments »
Inside Job Ten days after the surgery, six days after returning home from the hospital, and one day after the zipper of staples spanning my abdomen from the pelvis to above and around the belly button is removed, the incision bursts open. Rolling off my bed, one hand protecting my tender, zipper-free abdomen, I notice [...]
Afternoon Shift
Posted in Afternoon Shift, tagged adult children of divorce, cancer and comedy, cancer and humor, divorce on June 3, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Afternoon Shift When I wake up again, Ramona has gone to the gym and Mom is reading in the hospital armchair next to my head. The afternoon shift. A florist bouquet of gerber daisies has appeared on the bedside table. “Hi, Mom,” I smile. “Thanks for the flowers.” My mom’s face, which had softened at [...]
Abby
Posted in Abby, tagged cancer and comedy, cancer and humor, domestic partnership, gay relationships, ovarian cancer on May 17, 2010 | 8 Comments »
Abby Ramona arrives in my hospital room just as Dad is leaving. She gives him a kiss. He says, “Goodbye Hon” to me and is gone. She brings me a large, iced mocha with whipped cream. Now that the surgery is over, I can resume my caffeine intake and I choose to do so in [...]
