Mr. Morphine
I was surprised by all the heavy-duty drugs I was given this week. This is the kind of stuff you read about in newspapers — morphine and cocaine! My previous history as a drug user is easily told. I never tried any heavy recreational drugs and the few times — twice perhaps — that I […]
week 6 round-up
This is the round-up of the sixth week of my treatment. No, there isn’t much time left, but it’s going to be the most difficult part. I find it very hard to talk and to eat. Sept 29, Monday: another typhoon has arrived and schools and jobs are closed. My daughters are very happy. My […]
Obama fund-raiser
We were invited to an Obama fund-raiser in Taipei. Diane was very excited about it. “Finally,” she said, “a chance to meet some reasonable Americans. All Obama voters are my friends.” I’ve never donated to a political campaign before. In Sweden, political parties are funded through taxes and giving money to a political party is […]
angry and downright mean
Reading the diary entries concerning my treatment might give you the wrong impression. It sounds like I’m lying there in bed, propped up by lots of pillows, while Diane gently wipes my beady brow and the kids carry drinks and medication. It sounds cozy; romantic even. But it’s nothing like that at all! Instead I’m […]
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. […]