Considering my obsession with social networking, I figured it’d be interesting to look back at the last few months of status updates from Facebook. One of the few things I could do in hospital on a geek level, was use my phone to updated Facebook and message my friends (only sometimes though, when my wife brought my phone in, I didn’t keep it in there in case it got stolen).

I’ve copy/pasted the last few months of updates… I think it tells a pretty interesting story, especially if you read the dates each one was posted too, as you can see the gaps during Interferon Treatment (due to me going through a living hell from the allergic reaction) and the delays in being discharged etc.

The updates start a few weeks after I first found out I had cancer, and had just had the main Melanoma removed from my leg and the sentinel lymph nodes removed from my groin. I was recovering from those surgeries up at my mums house in the Blue Mountains, then signed up for Facebook to stay in contact with friends.

Here we go:

Home sweet home. A week at mums was an awesome escape from reality. Sleeping in the same room I did as a kid. Going to the bakery I lived off through TAFE. Stocked up on fudge from Leura. A nice blast from the past.??Now I’m back on my couch at home, ready for another week back and forth between doctors.
August 16 at 1:41am

SitRep: Had a crap load of blood taken today for testing. Left me feeling all funky. Tomorrow is the meeting with the surgeon who took out the lymph nodes, to get some results and find out what’s next. Still in stupendous amounts of pain, and spend most of the day doped up on Endone + Paracetamol.
August 18 at 7:06pm

The latest from the front lines. The enemy has penetrated our defenses and recent attempts to block their advance has failed. Much more drastic measures are called for, and on Sep 2 we launch a full fledged assault on them.

Translation: cancer has spread quite badly. Major surgery in Sep. Doesn’t look good.
August 19 at 2:08pm

CT scans of brain and major organs were clear. Booked in for surgery this coming Thursday to take out 20+ lymph nodes to try stop further spreading. Huge day of meetings with surgeon and doctors now I can rest this weekend then get ready for a big hospital stay and a few months of hell.
August 27 at 8:22pm

Checking in to RPAH now. Heeeere we go.
September 2 at 9:38am

Surgery went ok. Now in recovery for a week here in hospital looking like an octopus with all these tubes, then 2 months or so of recovery at home with community nurses visiting.
September 3 at 6:36pm

Woo one more tube taken out today. Down to 2 left. But more importantly I’m allowed to try and sit up later today. First time in 4 days.
September 5 at 11:00am

Screaming hyperactive kids on a plane or in a theatre is bad enough, having them run around your hospital room all day when you feel like shit is just cruel. (visitors for fathers day I guess).
September 5 at 4:00pm

I always knew I was a deep sleeper, but never had a reference point. Now I can say: “Yeah, I’m such a deep sleeper that the morning nurses thought I had gone into a coma when they couldn’t wake me, and started emergency procedures”…
September 6 at 10:31am

Got up and walked for the first time today. Well, kinda. Involved a rolling walking frame and 2 people supporting me to go about 4 meters and back. Still a big accomplishment.
September 6 at 2:43pm

Today I walked to the bathroom and back (with a frame)… took half hour to go 4 metres, but hey.

It’s so funny being a 30yr old who is proud to accomplish that of a 1yr old
September 7 at 11:20pm

Hospital Protip: Get someone to bring you in a block of nice cheese and store it in the nurses fridge. Twice a day when the tea/coffee lady comes around smile nicely and ask for 2 packets of the crackers (jatz, usually)… then every evening enjoy your own self-made platter of cheese & crackers Beats eating the rest of the food here.
September 10 at 2:42pm

Well and truly had enough of hospital now. I’ve now been here longer than anyone else in my room (seen 3 full rotations of new people) and between the repetitive food, swollen leg, tubes, pain, filthy bathroom, and being stuck on my back, I’ve hit my limit.

Can I go home now kthxbai.
September 11 at 1:37pm

Yay for being married to a nurse. They might be letting me go home today to continue recovery there, with wifey + community nurses taking care of everything. Still a long way to being better, but recovery at home beats recovery here.
September 12 at 10:14am

I’m home (mums place)!!! I’m still stuck on my back in bed for another 4-6wks but at least it’s at home now. Community nurses and my personal nurse-wife will take over the treatment and care. Hospital was ok with that arrangement. Damn it feels good to be out of that hospital.

So, if anyone feels like a drive to the mountains y’all know where I am :p
September 12 at 10:23pm

Having a chef brother is the best medicine ever. Just had a southern style dinner… creole style crumbed salmon, traditional cole slaw, crispy hand made wedges with mums home made hot sauce, and ginger beer. Booyah.
September 15 at 10:38pm

Latest update: Nothing to update. Still recovering from surgery, still can’t really walk (apart from sort’ve limp-dragging myself to the bathroom or couch), still got tubes ‘n crap hanging out of me, and still surviving off pain killers and sleeping tablets. They took the staples out and replaced them with straps/tape though, which is a big step forward.
September 19 at 8:09pm

I’m amazed I made it through 2 of the most stressful months of my life without my insomnia kicking in, but now it has decided to join me. 20mg of Temazepan hasn’t even made my eyes heavy.
September 22 at 5:21am

I used to think I knew what pain is. Oh how naive I was. These days, pain has a whole new meaning.
September 26 at 1:27am

Back in hospital. Temp 39.3, they think it’s sepsis. On another planet atm, more updates later.
September 29 at 12:21pm

Looks like my luck flipped. They were about to wheel me into theater and my surgeon (the one who manages my cancer case) walks in, asks what they’re doing, and tells them they’re idiots. Sticks a huge syringe in me, guessing the spot, hits it perfectly and it drained the infection. Told them to give me oral antibiotics and send me home!

There’s more to the story but i’ll write it all up on my blog when I get discharged tomorrow morning.
September 30 at 1:43pm

Going home tomorrow. Community nurses will once again take over.
September 30 at 10:12pm

Still not home. Another night in this hell. They said “tomorrow”… again. Laying here trying to go to sleep in a room with three patients who all snore REALLY loudly and make weird noises all night. I haven’t had a proper sleep in 4 days.
October 2 at 2:04am

Wooo discharged (again). Packing up and going home. Feels surreal. Casa de Back is open for visitors from tomorrow, but only to those that bring cake.
October 2 at 12:12pm

Home sweet home.
October 2 at 1:01pm

Realising you can no longer do things you used to love doing = sucky. Sitting here listening to nostalgic music and realising how bloody much my life has changed in the last little while. Fuck cancer.
October 5 at 5:29am

I’m now tube-less. No more tubes draining the wounds, just lots of bandaging etc. Now to learn how to walk again (jk, I can walk, it’s just hard/painful still).
October 6 at 7:34pm

Tomorrow… I try and walk (actually outside). I think I remember how to get there…
October 10 at 1:16am

Just walked around the block. My brain kept refusing anything was different to before, and that I could break into a jog at any point… but by the time I was half-way around, I was ready to collapse. Such a weird and unnerving feeling, being beat after a simple 15 minute slow stroll.
October 12 at 10:07pm

Wondering what all this fuzzy stuff all over my head is called. I guess this is what you guys call “hair”? (Since the day I was diagnosed, I decided to not cut my hair until this is all over…)
October 21 at 1:20pm

T-minus 2 weeks until Interferon Treatment begins. Started on the supporting meds yesterday.
October 26 at 9:34pm

Every now and then I have a day that decides to remind me that I have cancer. Aches, pains, cramps, muscle spasms, and a general feeling like SHIT. Fun.
October 27 at 5:43pm

I’m going to be in a book about cancer. I’m being interviewed for it now. It’s being written by Marty Wilson. Exciting stuff.
November 3 at 8:33pm

Day 1 of Interferon Treatment. The fun begins.
November 8 at 9:29am

Fuck cancer. I want normal back.
November 19 at 11:17pm

Interferon treatment is cancelled due to adverse reaction… so now I just take my chances and see what happens. Doctor says I have to “go hippy” health-wise though… to help increase chances against the cancer not coming back. No more junk food, etc… >.<
November 22 at 4:44pm

Back to work tomorrow and my new version of a “normal life” starts.
November 28 at 6:58pm