November 15, 2007 - This seems like a very odd thing for me to be doing. I've tried to avoid blogs, even friends' blogs, even the excellent TomDispatch blog which still arrives by e-mail. Seems to me they just suck up time, and how much time does any of us really have?
But here I am, with vocal folds paralyzed by tumors caused by metastatic stomach cancer, pretty much unable to speak except in a very soft, very whispery, very low voice, and pretty much unable to be heard except in very quiet places, trying to figure out how to communicate with people. So I've added text-messaging on my cell phone and instant messaging on my computer to the e-mail I've done for years. And since I am, after all, a writer--why not try a blog? The trick--since virtually all of my friends and family are over the age of 15--is to get the technically naive and even the technophobes to learn these new tricks.
So I'm using this evening, recovering from my latest chemo infusion, to start a blog. For now, no bells or whistles (or photos, either). But eventually.... who knows what you may find here!
And for those of you who may be curious, the next CT scan is after Thanksgiving, November 29. I'm pretty sure this chemo is working, since I can breathe a lot better than I could before it started. But I'll report the results here.
Occasional reflections on my journey through life without a voice, with digressions to keep friends, family, and interested others informed about my health. In June 2007, a tumor or tumors related to my metastatic stomach cancer began to squeeze the nerves that control the larynx and the diaphragm--affecting both my ability to breathe and to speak. But I still have plenty to say!
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