week 5 round-up
I stayed in bed most of this weekend. I was very tired and very dry, but there are only two and a half weeks to go. The weekdays have a way of passing quite quickly once they start. Lets hope that’s true for the coming week as well. I have now had oatmeal twice a […]
my heart is in the highlands
I spend a lot of my time dreaming. In your dreams you are free, not confined to a body and a bed. Right now I’m building a house in Puli. Puli is a town among the high mountains of Taiwan. It’s famous for its mild weather, its delicious water and its beautiful women. Puli also […]
things my cancer taught me 3: don’t smoke!
Everyone knows you shouldn’t smoke. But there are different ways of knowing things. Everyone also knows that it hurts if you hit your thumb with a hammer. Still, you know this fact in a completely different way if you actually take a hammer and whack your thumb as hard as you can. If you come […]
OMG
We thought Diane was pregnant. We really did. After all, we know a few things about being pregnant, and when Diane misses a period and develops a craving for hard-boiled eggs, we know what’s going on. “OMG!” was my first reaction. “What a soap opera!” “Welcome to the Ringmar Family — a husband with cancer, […]
week 4 round-up
The past weekend was Moon Festival, one of the four big holidays of the Chinese calendar. In Taiwan they usually celebrate it with a family barbecue. But this year everything was washed away by a big typhoon. As for me, I’m still hanging in there. The coming week will be crucial. At the end of […]
what I’m taking
This is a short list of the different drugs I’m taking at the moment. None of it is heavy stuff, but there is a lot to remember: Oralbalance, “dry mouth moisterizing.” It’s a gluey, slightly sweet-tasting, paste I put on my toungue at night and whirl around in my mouth. It doesn’t work that well. […]
ha, ha, ha, ha
So, the American government — the George W. Bush, Republican administration — has now nationalized A.I.G., American International Group, the largest insurance company in the US and the world’s 18th largest company. Ha, ha, ha, ha!!! Can the Republicans now go on arguing that “the government is the problem, not the solution”? Or will they […]
research in bed
Now I’m down to eating only oatmeal porridge — what Swedes call gröt. I had oatmeal for breakfast, lunch and dinner yesterday and for breakfast and lunch today. And I suspect there’s more oatmeal on the menu tonight. A bowl of oatmeal has most of what you need for survival — stomach filler, lots of milk, […]
losing my hair
Ever since my operation I haven’t bothered to shave. When you have a large gash going from your ear to your chin you don’t particularly feel like shaving. As a result I’ve become fairly hairy. It’s not a beard exactly since it’s too scraggly, but it’s definitely facial hair. My almost-a-beard is a great source […]
week 3 round-up
The third week just started. I have exactly one month to go. The real count-down can begin. I had hoped I would bounce back over the weekend, but instead I seem to be continuing down a path of steady decline. Well, it’s far, far to the bottom. Vulnerable and a bit worried, I keep on […]