h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Bels.
Have been lurking and thinking of you a lot over the past few weeks. Caught up with your thread this evening and thought it polite to comment. I think you have written a great account of your reality. Informative, amusing, not self indulgent in any way and an inspiration to those who may have to travel the same journey. This account should be in the edited guide. It won't be of course and I only hope it finds its well deserved and special place in the new underguide thingy that everyone seems to be getting excited about.
For me the read has been an uplifting and upsetting experience but one I am most grateful for and I salute you.
take care
boots

boots, thank you very much for those kind words and thoughts

I think there is room in the EG for an entry on cancer generally, and indeed I did start writing one. I've deleted it for now as it was unsatisfactory for various reasons, and although I could easily work on that if I wanted to, now is not a good time for me to be doing that. I might resurrect it at some later date - we shall see.

This entry is mainly a personal, individual journal-type thing, and is of course unfinished at the moment. Whether it will ever be finished, and how the story might end, remains to be seen. I'm quite happy with it in its present niche. It is already part of the Guide and is drawing a very appreciative and supportive audience, so what more could I ask for?

As for the underguide, the overguide, or any of the alternatives, I am unclear about the possible advantages and disadvantages so would need to have those spelled out to me, preferably monosyllabically (whatever that means in words of one syllable ). From what I understand of these ventures, this would not be the sort of stuff they are looking for anyway - but I could be wrong.

Anyway I hope you don't find it too upsetting. It isn't meant to be, you know. I don't get upset very often. As it happens, I did get upset yesterday for a while, but that's quite unusual for me. I'd spent a long and to me arduous day at Tumourworld, seeing various nurses and doctors and therapeutic radiographers, and having therapy and stuff, and everything was going rather well until towards the end of the day there were various delays and I was getting towards the end of my tether, and then at the end of the day there was some misunderstanding about my future treatment plans, and at the time it was a bit like the last straw for me. But it's nothing major at all, in fact it's something that can easily be sorted out, and I'm fine about it now.

Some people are quite relaxed about being in hospitals, clinics and that sort of environment. Some people really like it - they feel it's protective, supportive, reassuring, caring, whatever. I can understand that. Me, I hate it - however many tasteful pastel shades and potted plants and tropical fish tanks there may be. It really freaks me out, even if I'm just visiting someone else in hospital. So whenever I go into that sort of place, for whatever reason, I just have a strong urge to get the hell out of there as quickly as I can. Mostly I can deal with that, but occasionally it gets a bit much.

When I was in the States a few months ago I had the opportunity to visit a Home for the Elderly just outside New York City. To this Brit it is an amazing place, more like an art gallery than anything else. They have original Picassos, Warhols, Chagalls hanging on the walls. Lots of other stuff too - wherever you go is a feast for the eyes and the other senses. It must be tremendously stimulating for the residents. Yet at the same time there are staff in uniform with name tags, and access ramps and wide doorways and all the other paraphernalia of an institution, which to me is what it is.

The only institution I have ever enjoyed being in is the one Groucho Marx mentioned - marriage.

I do so agree with your last comment and miss it lots. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A1063180 Not so well disciplined as your entry alas...we all have to deal with things in our own way.
Yes your entry is upsetting but in a very positive way. I have two good friends who are currently treading a similar path. One has stomach cancer, the other two 'incurable' brain tumours vyeing for space in her head. Your positive attitude and practical explanations have helped me to help them. To care is good, to crowd is not. Doughnuts have their place but so do lifts and shopping runs and fun moments and being there for all the family and giving them space too.
Mmmm hospitals...with you on that one too...don't even like Holby City. They always remind me of hotel kitchens under crisis... a combination of chrome and salmonella.
Hope you are having a good day today.
take care
boots

I'd be interested to know about your entry in the Post.

Did someone spot it and suggest it should go there? Did you offer it to them? Did you write it for the Post?

Are you happy about it being there? What are the advantages? Have there been any disadvantages? What difference has it made having the entry in the Post rather than just on your space?

How much editing (if any) was done? How much control did you have over the whole thing?

I'm curious about these things because I know very little about the Post or how it is run.

To answer your questions. 1) I wrote it because I knew if I didn't write something, no matter how poor, I would never write again. 2) I like the post and AWW. They are less 'straight jacketed' than the edited guide, they have been good to me and have taken great care of me over the past few months. I like the diversity in the post...so many styles...some good...some so so but mostly lovely people behind the entries. I am fortunate enough to have become a regular 'post reporter' http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A986718. 3) When Ravager died, I had two choices a) to drop out of 'site' for a while...I suspect it would have been a long while or b) Tell the friends I'd made what had happened and see if I could carry on. I chose the latter and I thank them all for their wonderful responses http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/F120711?thread=275454 andhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A1047043. They have all helped me cry and when RL got too tough there was always a cheery post and a doughnut somewhere to make me smile. 4) Very few changes are made to entries to the post, Guide ML and that's about it. There may be a sub header but poor grammar etc remains untouched. 5) There are some great writers there too, Pinniped, Montague Trout, Dr Funderlik, Hypatia. jwf and spiff to name but a few. 6) Advantages? It's fun 7) Disadvantages? It's quite hard to find AWW unless you post something and put it into review or you are an exceptional 'lurker'. I'm comfortable there. I have one edited guide entry which thanks to editing probably reads more professionally... and that is also fine. I posted a few other bits to my journal over the past few weeks but decided this was a writing site...so pulled the lot. Hope that answers the questions and hope to see you there soon! take care boots (What is up with the server today? Hope my 'letter to the Gods is not responsible!))