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Sibling Revelry - by David Lobser



Figure 1. The last time I wore a suit


My Sister said she wasn’t updating her blog because there was nothing funny to write about, so I offered to fill in for her. I am not nearly as good a writer so please forgive me, I just thought it would be worth giving her many fans an update.

Imagine that your body is expanding like a balloon and the hurt is coming from so many different places at once there is no non-hurt to compare it to - hurt is the state of the world, without boundaries. Imagine that nausea has been going on for so long there is no longer a concept of non-nausea. Imagine a grey sea of pinging bells, poking needles, concerned whispering visitors, cautiously optimistic news every day until cautious optimism is indistinguishable from the relentless pain and nausea. 

Not every single moment is like this of course - just most of the moments. 

Sarah’s white blood cell count is coming back up again after hovering at 0 for a couple weeks, when she’s up to 1000 then they’ll do a biopsy. In the meantime there’s a lot of chasing bacteria and side effects.

Sometimes things are pretty ok, people show up most days to help out with all the little things, and the dreams and mild hallucinations can be ok too. 

One day I bemoaned the fact that there was nothing funny about cancer but my sister told me that there was plenty that was funny about cancer - and I’m glad she said that, because I believe that too. The horrors of all this are so horrible that somehow, sometimes they are also funny in their terribleness. 

My sister is as beautiful and amazing as always, she’s the star of the floor, and has the best decorated room that anyone has ever seen… thanks mostly to me (and Elizabeth, Brent, Sarah, Jessica, Ed, the Mausers), and I’m sure she’ll be back up to writing more soon!

-David Lobser

Comments

  1. This is the worst, and Michael’s craft store is the best.

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  2. Thanks for the posting. It's good to hear even if the news is not always good. I would like to add that you forgot about my absolutely amazing coloring job for the decor, but other than that it was spot on.

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  3. Glad to hear the WBC count is coming up! Sarah, I'm rooting for you here in New Hampshire. Remember me from Corvallis? Anyhow, I've been following your BLOG - amused by your perspectives, but sorry you're having to deal with all of this craziness. You'll be on your way to Seattle (isn't that the next stop on this journey?) to get the rest of the treatment to make you well very soon!!!

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  4. Thanks for posting, David! I've missed Sarah's updates and have really missed seeing her face (and her changing hair-dos) on Marco Polo. We've talked to your mom a few times and it sounds like this has definitely been a pretty rough stretch ("pretty rough" is a huge understatement though). I'm glad to hear the WBC is coming up...a little bit of good news goes a long way.

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  5. What a great brother.... Please tell Sara that we miss her at work. I'm praying for her body & mind. Here's a video for her that maybe will seem pretty funny.... Every bit helps!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYbx-ckp4ho&feature=share

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  6. Thanks for the update! I’m sorry it’s so tough. Always a fan, funny or no funny.

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