A Question & Answer piece with a twist

 
 
Your Q & A shared on my Blog 
(Your Pulse on my Heart Beat)


Over the past few weeks, I have been doing a lot of thinking. Most of my mind-crunching ideas I try to formulate with strong positive flavouring. With the direct feedback I have been getting about my blog, which incidentally busted through 50,000 page views last night, I discovered something very important. This blog is much about YOU as it is about me. 

With that in mind, I have done some thinking outside the box (my favourite type). What I have devised is a 'bolt on' to my blog. I call it 'Heart Beat', it's your own Q & A shared here on my blog. I prefer to say 'Your Pulse on my Heart Beat'.  The idea is that this provides a platform for a one-to-one question and answer session. The twist is that it's with you, not me. I'm just the facilitator. 

The person taking part can and indeed is encouraged by me to write their own questions but obviously then answer them. Subject to verification, they get published here in my blog. This can be done with your name opting to be private (not printed in the blog) or infact being published here if you wish. There is no prerequisite. A submission can be from a friend of a cancer patient, a current patient, an ex patient, a family member of a patient, a medic. If cancer has affected you in any way and you feel you have something to contribute here in my blog, then you are the person I want to hear from. Actually, you are the person that fellow like minded individuals want to read from. 

With so many different angles and of course attitudes towards cancer, writing your own questions (that you will then answer) will make your submission totally unique not just to you, but to the thousands who are currently reading my blog. Remember, they are your own questions, so that makes the experience much more constructive for you and very beneficial to the reader. My intention is to publish a 'Heart Beat' every so often, as content and space permits. I'll start off with mine (below) so you get to see what's going on here. Feel free to use my questions as a guide to your own if that's what suits you, or write, add on your own. 



Here goes with the first 'Heart Beat' with yours truly being the guinea pig:  




 



What part of a cancer journey are you on?
I am a cancer patient, diagnosed some weeks ago. 


What type of cancer have you got?
I have Gastro Cancer. A tumour in my stomach that I'm told is inoperable. 


What is your long term prognosis?
To reduce its size and make it dormant. 



A delicate and very direct question, have you had any morbid thoughts?
Not long after been told my news, I was still in hospital. It was night time. I was sobbing to myself not being able to sleep. It's at that specific juncture I made the decision. I'm going to call a meeting with Death and put my ducks in a row. I did that. I envisaged a dark faceless cloaked force, not too unlike the grim reaper. I had my meeting and left it with a cool calm declaration. It was a declaration of war. War rules were (and still are) always on my terms. I looked over my shoulder on the way out of the meeting and gave a smile to Death (it hates smiles) and uttered my last comment to it;
 "Welcome to my war old sport, I'm going to fucking annihilate you". 


How are you coping with your treatment?
Currently, better than I thought, there were and are plenty of old wives tales out there that are still doing the circuit. Currently I'm ducking and diving with a few of them. 


Which part of your treatment do you dislike the most and why?
The first 3-4 days after having my IV Chemotherapy is the worst. 
I am an emotional wreck during this period. There is also strong physical affects from the multitude of cocktails of meds I'm on. The worse affect for me is the horrible constipation. I need to be mindful of this so as to counteract it with a daily intake of a mild laxative. One more drug to counteract the affects of another drug, around and around we go.  I'm also giving myself daily injections of innohep to assist in thinning my blood and thus prevent it from clotting. My stomach is like a pin cushion at the moment. I'm on site B at present, the upper leg. 


Have you come across any unusual surprises on your journey?
and will you share one with us here ?

I think my biggest surprise was and is the high esteem I appear to be held in by the locals in my town. By that I mean the care and genuine love I have been and indeed am shown by the amazing habitants of Dunshaughlin. They all deserve a person of the year award. Each and every one of them. 
Every town needs to be like mine. Unstoppable qualities. 


Do you get upset and if so when was the last time you did ?
I find during the first few days post Chemotherapy, I am at my most vulnerable but the tears can come at anytime. They don't call in advance for a booking. 
I've been pretty good as of late but broke done tonight when watching TV.  I received an email from a person I know, catching up with me but also informing me they are now also receiving chemotherapy. It's that initial shock more than anything which triggered tonights waterworks. When I have a total respect for an individual who then conveys this kind of news, it does of course have an impact on my emotions and it's right that it does. But it's strength in numbers, I'm a big believer in this. As such I'm glad this person confided in me tonight. There is a lot of can do, expertise and plain good old fashioned love and care on this path I'm walking right now. I wouldn't be writing it here if this were not the case. 


Come, walk with me, I like the company.


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Prior to emailing me any submission, if quoting or referencing any third party, please obtain that entities written consent that they agree to their details being published on this blog. 

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Thanks so much for reading my blog. 
Do please share it if you think it may benefit others. 


 



 


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