MARCH 26 — There are so many little, annoying things you aren’t truly prepared for when you’re a cancer patient.
Staring at my bedside table, full of tissues smeared with blood and clots, was a little unnerving and disheartening.
Cancer Reddit again came to the rescue and I was advised to get a nasal spray.
While the spray did help with the feeling of stuffiness, I was still bleeding.
Again, cancer Reddit suggested nasal gels so I searched online and found a fancy pharmacy selling a fancy nasal gel — Tonimer Lab Nasal Gel to be exact (no this is not a paid mention).
“Experience the soothing power of hydration!” the advertisement proclaimed.
I would just like to not experience gummied, bleeding nostrils, thanks.
The gel’s advertising also promoted its main ingredients: trehalose (a sugar with water-binding properties), hyaluronic acid and... sea water.
While I wasn’t thrilled about spending over RM30 for a tiny tube of gel, which contents I had to apply to the insides of my nostrils, then massage from the outside to ensure even coverage — I had to say it was effective.
Just the mental image of the small mountain of bloody tissues has kept me diligently using the spray and the gel.
This is all because I have no nose hair and who knew those tiny strands were so important for my daily comfort?
Talking about small hairs I have also lost nearly all my eyelashes.
Now one of my eyes is partly swollen due to inflamed tear ducts and funnily enough both my eyes are now overcompensating by being perpetually watery.
My eyebrows are still stubbornly hanging on but I predict they’ll be gone by the time I take my fourth and final round of combined immunotherapy and chemo.
To be honest I don’t mind so much about the eyebrows because it will be a great excuse to try eyebrow stickers (they sell them on Shopee) and write about them.
By the time you read this I will be, again, lounging in a hospital bed enduring yet another round of TCHP.
On Monday I saw a doctor who confirmed my lump has become barely palpable and had my blood drawn with little incident this time.
I also came home with a fistful of medication and made it in time for work, and since the hospital hasn’t called I guess my blood test results didn’t require me to come back for extra IV hydration (unlike the last time).
In other news I have also been approached by a faith healer who offered to heal me free of charge and also, if I referred people who also needed healing, I would get RM500 commission, what an amazing offer.
By doing so apparently it would help me achieve financial independence but alas that thing called a moral compass made me decline this overly generous proposition.
Some days, dear readers, I wonder if my life is a sitcom.
Alas I am not a faith healer but you may buy me a coffee at my Ko-fi so I can laugh or cry into a hot cup of mocha when I’m not hobbling everywhere with my fancy new flowery cane (because chemo now makes my knee give way multiple times a day, how joyous).
I also have to rely on Temu wigs on the rare occasion, such as weddings, where I don’t need people to be staring at my very shiny bald head instead of how good my friend looks in her wedding reception cheongsam.
Stay tuned for next week when I let you know about the only two foods that are scientifically proven to raise your risk of cancer.
