The One Where I Review My Sister's Keeper and Other Stuff

Turns out, when you have cancer, a lot of what you do is waiting around hoping that medicine (poison) is working inside you. As of yet, I haven't seen many indications that it's doing its job. I still have my hair - though I'm getting used to wearing scarves and hats so it's not a huge jump. I have to admit - I have fantasized about getting body crayons and letting my friends draw on my head (I think this could be a lot of fun :)) - but that'll have to wait until after my hair follicles stop hurting.



I picked up Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper not because I have cancer so suddenly it's relevant, but because I'm working to complete The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. So far this summer I've read The Art of War, Metamorphosis, The Jungle, and Water for Elephants. Including all the books I read this past year and all through high school, I'm at about 50 on this list. But this weekend I was working through My Sister's Keeper. 

I'm glad I read it now and not in 8th grade when all my friends told me I needed to. It's kind of cool to know all the medical terminology like "bone marrow aspiration" which just makes my pelvis hurt thinking about it. At first the amount of narrators bothered me, but once you begin to understand each person's voice it gets easier. Much like another favorite: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

All in all, I would recommend the book, but it makes it a little more real if this has been an experience you've had before. It's a lot more realistic than The Fault in Our Stars, which after comparing that to real life, isn't as accurate as they make it seem. Two kids with cancer just would not be able to walk that much. I'm sorry. And there was not nearly enough hand sanitizer. Maybe that was supposed to be symbolic in that Hazel didn't want to take precautions to save her life anymore? (#sarcasm)

So, an update on my life. We are reaching the end of the first 14 day cycle and will be starting all over again on Wednesday. Tuesday I go in for a short appointment to get blood taken for labs, which will determine if I'm ready for chemo on Wednesday. Then on Wednesday we're going in for my second round of drugs. My next post will be on the different drugs themselves and how each effects me.

Current symptoms, side effects, and complaints: Nothing :)

Prayers to my old swim coach Mike Slagle who suffered a heart attack last night!