Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

If you are in line to indict donald trump, stay in line.

In after Baud. Damn.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

Bogus polls are all they’ve got left. Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls a year from now.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

When the time comes to make an endorsement, the pain of NYT editors will be palpable as they reluctantly whisper “Biden.”

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Bad news for Ron DeSantis is great news for America.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Let me file that under fuck it.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / Fuck Cancer / Personal News: Medical Update

Personal News: Medical Update

by | 83 Comments

This post is in: ,

First, I want to thank y’all for making routine threads a place where I can join in discussions about politics, pets, hot dishes, etc., without being asked about my health. I know inquiries come from a place of caring, and I’m grateful for that. But it’s so nice to have a place where I can be normal, you know? Real life is far from normal these days, so I value that a great deal.

That said, I’ve been meaning to update y’all on how my treatment is going in this specially designated portion of the blog. The good news is I’m almost done with lengthy courses of chemo and radiation. The bad news is it’s exhausting and nauseating, and I can’t wait for it to be over.

Thanks to the generosity of this community, Bill was able to take a leave from work to shuttle me to appointments and look after me during the worst of it, which includes the past few weeks and the next couple upcoming. I’m a reasonably strong person and figured I could tough it out while he worked, but I was wrong. I don’t know how I would have made it through this shit without him!

In addition to feeling poisoned all the time, I’m shedding like an equatorial golden retriever. But so far, I still have a full head of hair. I’ve lost volume but not coverage. I’ve also lost a ton of weight. Before I got sick, I knew I needed to drop a few pounds, so I’m not displeased with this development. But I would not recommend this type of fat farm to anyone, including the convicted felon.

So, to focus on the positive, I’ll be done with treatment within the next couple of weeks, and I’m hoping when they stop pumping poison into my veins and irradiating me, the side effects will go away. Then we’ll see where we are and what’s next. Hoping you all are enjoying great health or getting the treatment you need if not. Thanks again for the support — and the space to forget my troubles for a minute.

Reader Interactions

83Comments

  1. 1.

    Wolvesvalley

    Thank you so much for this update, Betty. It’s such good news that you are almost done with this awful process. I hope you will soon be feeling more like your old self.

    I’m sure all the jackals are glad to know that we helped Bill help you get through it!

    You are being incredibly tough. We are all here to support you, and welcome anything you want to say about politics, pets, hot dishes, or anything else.

  4. 4.

    Scout211

    Thanks for the update, Betty. It’s good to hear that your chemo and radiation treatments will soon be over.  What a relief for you and Bill. Hopefully, you will be able to sleep through the night and eat again.  Sending light, love and strength, Betty  ❤️

    Bill, you are such a wonderful support for Betty.  We love you, too.  ❤️

    Sending good thoughts that the testing after your treatments will give you good news, Betty.

     

    And yes, fuck cancer!

    (And thanks Wolvesvalley and Baud for noticing this new post in Betty’s Corner.  I would have missed it).

  5. 5.

    PBK

    Love to you, Betty.

    By the way, your use of the word “preening” to describe a certain someone was just le mot juste.

  6. 6.

    Kay

    Oh, I’m glad you’re halfway thru treatment. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything you need.

  7. 7.

    Elizabelle

    Beat this thing, Betty.  You are irreplaceable.  And hugs to Bill.

    Scritches to health aides Badger and Pete, too.

  8. 8.

    satby

    Happy to see this update and hoping once the chemo /radiation treatment is done you feel much better.🤞❤️

    Thanks to Elizabelle who alerted me to the good news

  12. 12.

    Joy in FL

    Just adding my good wishes and thoughts and energy to everyone else’s here.
    I hope as you enter the “see where we are” phase that everything is the best and easiest possible.

  13. 13.

    dww44

    Thanks for the update.  Kinda familiar with the process as a friend here has been going thru similar and  as a widowed Mom of 2 young adult kids who live elsewhere people have taken turns being on site to render the necessary assistance.  So hope that you get good results from the treatment.

  15. 15.

    japa21

    Thank you for the update.  Always love when I see a comment from you.  And just so you know, if you need more assistance, what we did once we can do again.

  16. 16.

    Jackie

    Keep fighting the good fight, Betty. I send positive vibes to you daily. Please thank Bill for us for being there for you and loving you. Please keep us updated with as much as you’re willing to share! Praying to the doGs that the chemo and radiation treatments are doing their job of eradicating the cancer and your next report is you’re cancer free.

    Love to you and Bill

  20. 20.

    Starfish

    I am so glad that you updated us and that Bill was there to support you through the worst of it.

    The weight will come back when the chemo is over and the nausea is gone.

    I am not sure if that is vexing or comforting though.

  21. 21.

    banditqueen

    Well if anyone could make me smile a bit about chemo/radiation it’s you–shedding like an equatorial golden retriever!!♥   Just take all the love and help you need from friends and fam–they want to!–and let us, this community, know what we can do to assist in any way possible.

    Thanks to Scout, Baud & Wolvesvalley for the new post alert (community love).

    And thanks for the beautiful photos of your little part of FL–I’ve loved spoonbills since I was a child. And of course, the dogs!

  22. 22.

    eclare

    Thank you so much for the update and letting us know that Bill is there to take care of you.  Fingers, toes, and paws crossed here for good news after the hell that is “treatment” stops!

  23. 23.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Nothing much to say without getting repetitive, so I’ll just add my voice to the chorus: thanks for the update, glad this phase is nearly over, and we all love you. But you knew that. 😁

  27. 27.

    Gvg

    Good luck. This is a good time to lean on family and let someone else cook and clean. Rest. I lost all my hair and did not like it. It came out in nasty clumps when I touched my head or brushed it, and patches stayed in. Unattractive effect. Loosing volume sounds so much better. I recommend sleeping as much as possible.

  29. 29.

    J.

    Fingers and toes crossed for you to feel better soon! So glad Mr. Cracker was able to take time off and be there for you.

  30. 30.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Thank you for the update.  Good thoughts and all.  I’d offer prayers, but I don’t think either of us roll that way.

  32. 32.

    Lyrebird

    Go Betty Go!  Go, medical team, go!

    Bless you Bill!  And the puppies, too!

    Lifting all of you UP UP UP UP UP!

  37. 37.

    tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat)

    Thank you for the update, Betty. Wishing you strength and healing energy for what lies ahead.

  39. 39.

    Yarrow

    Thanks for the update, Betty. Sorry it’s so sucky to go through. Glad Bill can be there with you and that people here could help in a small way. Sending good thoughts.

  41. 41.

    4D*hiker

    Strength and courage. You have those in abundance. When I read a post written by you these days, I almost always think “Damn, she’s strong to keep caring about this stuff with all that’s going on in her life.”  Glad you have your partner to help with those times when you may need some extra strength.

    Wishing you the best…..

  42. 42.

    Rileys Enabler

    Thank you for giving the update, which sounds as positive as possible given the situation. Really glad that your husband has been able to be there for you. Thinking of you often.

  43. 43.

    CaseyL

    Thank you for this update! You are always in my thoughts, believe it or not, and I was hoping we’d hear how things were going. Bill is a trooper; you both deserve some kind of extreme self-indulgence once the treatment is completed.

    I hear you that the hair loss is in volume, not coverage. You must have started out with as much hair as I used to have; i.e., enough for three people. Age has thinned mine to one-person’s worth, and it seems the radiation and chemo have done the same for you. It’ll be interesting to know how it grows back: some people wind up with quite a different head of hair than they started with!

    Wishing all the best for you, Bill, and the entire Cracker household.

  44. 44.

    wmd

    Having normalcy during treatment is one reason I kept working half time during treatment.

    Radiation is tough. My chemo was a targeted monoclonal antibody. They administered benydryl before infusing it, and while it did cause some skin issues that was mild.

    I personally had over all energy drop to about 50% of normal by the end of radiation. It continued to drop for a week or so after.  At about 6 weeks post treatment I was about 80% and I went back to full time work. I was back at 100% at about 4 months.

    I hope you have less of a drop and recover quickly.

  45. 45.

    Mousebumples

    Thanks for the updates, and I’m hoping that you’re responding well to therapy. Chemo is nasty, though.

    Best wishes!

  48. 48.

    Betty

    Thank you for sharing where you are in this most difficult of journeys. The treatment sounds horrendous, but I am so happy to know there is available treatment and that Bill has been able to help you through  the worst of it. Your attitude remains inspiring.  I am so grateful you feel well enough at times to continue sharing your posts with us. Your contributions are valued. Praying you feel much better soon.

  52. 52.

    WendyBinFL

    Sending hugs, BettyC, to you and all the two-legged and four-legged ones who love you.

  54. 54.

    stinger

    Thanks for the update, Betty Cracker. I’m always happy to see your posts and comments. I’ve had radiation but not chemo; you have my sympathy and then some.

  56. 56.

    frosty

    Thanks for the update, BC. You’ve been in my thoughts. I’ve heard from others that the chemo poisoning your body is terrible; I hope that you feel better when it leaves your system and especially hope it did its job.

    Holding you in the light.

  58. 58.

    pieceofpeace

    Your treatments will soon be over.  Best of fortune, BettyC.   The continuing input from you is hugely appreciated, as is knowing you have a stellar support group for you on this journey.

  59. 59.

    Quiltingfool

    I’m glad you gave us an update, I’ve been thinking about you and wanted to know how you’re doing.

    I’m also very happy that you can come here and talk about *normal* stuff (TFG is not normal, lol!). I enjoy your photos, especially one with Pete and Badger!

  60. 60.

    laura

    Rest when you can. Fight when you must. Wallow in the love and tenderness of friends, family and critters. Better days lay ahead.

  62. 62.

    RaflW

    Glad to see you’re making headway, Betty, even if it feels shitty. And happy that we could help get your honey some time off to be really present for it. Hoping the intentional poisoning remains tolerable and does it’s weird job!

    You are a treasure, and I’m thankful for each moment you stop by the regular posts to share a word or twenty.

  64. 64.

    Betty Cracker

    Thanks for the well wishes, everyone! I sincerely appreciate your kind thoughts. ❤️

    Just wanted to clarify that this update is from Sunday, August 11. I back-dated it so it could be posted in this sidebar without disrupting the front page flow. Sorry for the confusion. Next time I’ll indicate the date in the body of the post.

    PS: it’s 1:39 AM, and I should be asleep. But I hear an Osprey chirping across the river, so I got that going for me.

  66. 66.

    Betty Cracker

    @Elizabelle: Cloudy here too, unfortunately, but thanks for the heads up!

    The best meteor show I ever saw was the Perseids back in 1998. We had a newborn at the time, and after getting the baby settled after a feeding in the middle of the night, I dragged a lawn chair into the middle of the yard and watched meteor after meteor streak through the sky. Never saw such a show before or since. It was all the more remarkable since we were living in central Tampa at the time. The meteors were visible despite the light pollution.

  67. 67.

    Ramalama

    @Betty Cracker: that reads like a scene in a movie.

    Glad the poison portion of your program is coming to an end.

    Did you white knuckle the treatments, or did medical Mary Jane enter into the picture at all?

  69. 69.

    leeleeFL

    Sorry I hadn’t seen this before!  Glad to hear your treatment is almost done and you will be able to feel more yourself soon, hopefully.

    Cancer sucks, and I am asking the Universe to aid you in your battle!  We love you, Ms. Cracker!  Hoping for very good news soon! 

  71. 71.

    CaseyL

    @Betty Cracker:

    A few years back a friend and I went to Crystal Mountain (near Mt. Rainier, in Washington State).  Crystal Mountain is a ski resort, but they opened up one of their big open areas for Perseid viewing.

    Unfortunately, it was BYO Chair, and we stupidly brought regular camp chairs rather than beach loungers.  We remembered blankets, and snacks, and drinks, but not that the best way to watch the sky is… recumbent :)

    Besides having to crane our heads up constantly, we realized the best part of the “show” wouldn’t be until after 1:00 AM.  A 2+ hour wait.  My friend wasn’t keen on that, since he had plans for the next day.

    We left.  I still regret that.

  72. 72.

    knittingbull

    Hang in there, we’re all pulling for you. My brother just finished his treatment for laryngeal cancer and is trying to put weight back on. He said it’s bloody awful and his description gives me much better insight into what you’re going through. We love you, Betty.

  73. 73.

    narya

    Thanks for the update, BC! (I missed it last night, but the current front page post referred to it.) I’m too far away to bring/send food–except for cookies! if you ever decide you want some, lemme know.

  74. 74.

    Denali5

    Great to hear that you are almost done with this part of your treatment!  Know that you are in our thoughts and we wish you the absolute BEST!

  78. 78.

    Debbie(Aussie)

    Much love and positive thoughts sent your way BC.

    As I am late in finding your corner, by the time you read this the treatments maybe close to finished.

  80. 80.

    RedDirtGirl

    Thanks so much for sharing your update with us. Holding you and your family in the light. Here’s to better days ahead.

  81. 81.

    Westyny

    A belated thanks for your update, Betty.  Your voice is one my most treasured on this site, and I’m glad to see you’re in fine fettle.  Best wishes for this treatment to send the bad cells howling into the abyss.

  83. 83.

    dearmaizie

    As a cancer alum, class of chemo and radiation, I want to thank all the commenters here for not one time, unless I missed it, imploring BettyCracker to think positive thoughts or not eat sugar.   Good on ya and fuck cancer.

Comments are closed.