Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Day +8 The Vertex of This Vortex

All my life I have had a round face, a cute face. A face that made people think it was ok to chant Monchichi while trying to peg me in dodge ball, later it was Gizmo from Gremlins. Freshmen year of high school a senior told me my face was round like a pancake and I have hated him ever since, even though he routinely bought me and my friends peach-flavored Bartles & Jaymes, I hated him. Still do. Fact.

All this to say that my face is no longer round. Or as round, maybe. I have cheekbones. I guess that's the silver lining of chemo: you get cheekbones. Like actual definition, I have an angle. I've always wanted to have my own angle.

Yesterday my dad and I discovered a park a few blocks away with a little workout area. It's the funniest thing, surrounded by a primary colored playground that looks a little worse for wear there sits a circle of Eastern European-looking fitness equipment. Nadir says that he did his part of the job, giving me chemo and the transplant, but now it's up to me to work my muscles. So when I showed him these photos I thought he would be proud. Instead I got in trouble for not wearing gloves.
So today we went back and I wore black latex gloves making me feel dangerous, the coupling of having cheekbones and latex gloves, like a Russian spy or at least a one episode arc character from Dexter.
I realize you can't see the cheekbones beneath the mask, so you will have to take my word for it. I am a dead ringer for Gisele Bündchen under there.
Of course soon I will look more like Sigourney Weaver circa Aliens, as any day now my hair should be falling out. Then the real fun starts, I suppose. That's when people know you're sick and not just paranoid. The funny thing is, even though I will look it I won't really be sick anymore, but healthy. And eventually my cheekbones will disappear, my face once again round, because that's all an angle is anyway, two rays sharing a common endpoint, and that endpoint, in this case, is my future.
xo,
S

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was surprised they let you outside!

I thought you would be Bubble Girl for a while. But, I'm glad to see you up-and-around.

Question: Will you have a 'new' immune system?

For example, if a person had a food allergy, would 'rebooting' their immune system correct the allergy?

I think about the possibilities of being able to do a Factory Reset, so to speak, on the body. If only my parents had known what I now know, my diet and lifestyle would have been drastically different. Presumably, my health would have also been better.

You ever hear of Fecal Transplants? No, it's not a joke.

"Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) is a procedure in which fecal matter, or stool, is collected from a tested donor, mixed with a saline or other solution, strained, and placed in a patient, by colonoscopy, endoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or enema."

I've read about some interesting conditions this procedure has 'cured.' Even the Mayo Clinic has used this procedure.

I was thinking about trying it, but I don't like taking shit for others.

(rimshot)

Keep moving forward, Susannah. You're doing it. You're moving through this. Revel in your progress, but keep looking forward...

Wishing you the best.

Petunia Face said...

I am surprised they are letting me outside, too. The rules are that I have to stay in open spaces, wear a mask at all times, and gloves.

And yes, I will have a completely new immune system. This means that I will need to have tests done to see what childhood boosters I may need again.

People have reported that hsct corrects their allergies, that is, they don't have them anymore. I am "lucky" that I don't actually have any current allergies. Hopefully my new immune system won't acquire any!

And yeah, fecal transplants. I've heard a lot of them lately, but haven't read much. Kind of scared too. If they work, I would be first in line, but one thing at a time. Hopefully they will cure a ton of ailments, and the new saying will be: Eat shit and live.

xo,
S

Anonymous said...

"...and the new saying will be: Eat shit and live."

HA HA HA HA -- You one-upped me again!

You really are a comedic genius.

Humbly,
Mr. X