#1) Tom, I've noticed you have an amazing physical appearance and what can only be described as rugged good looks, is this the result of the brain tumour?
No, while I can see why you might think this, my handsome appearance is a result of the same DNA and genetic structure that likely was part of the reason for my developing GBM in the first place. Good question though!
#2) Tom, does your brain tumour give you any super powers?
Again, I'm afraid the answer is no, and again I can see why you'd be confused. I just wear the cape because it suits me.
#3) Hey Tom, I was wondering, if you had to choose between a delicious piece of pizza or having GBM, which would you choose?
This one is easy. I'd pick the pizza. The pizza is much less likely to kill me. I might get some heartburn, but they have pills to treat that which are much more effective than my chemotherapy is on my tumour.
#4) Oh, Tom! I didn't see you standing there. Hey, while you're here, would you mind telling me how you deal with the everyday stress of living with a terminal illness?
If I had to use one word it would be "hope". If I had to use three with a hyphen, they would be "Nicole O'Leary-Sontag". She helps get me through each and every day. This means she must bear the burden of more stress than any other human on Earth (in my humble opinion), but together we forge ahead in our journey.
#5) If you had to guess what the 5th question someone would ask you in a list such as this, what would it be?
Probably "If you had to guess what the 5th question someone would ask you in a list such as this, what would it be?"
#6) So how are things going with you and your head lately?
Well, my head is doing quite well. My face is shedding like a Great Pyrenees in the spring. This is still due to the Acutane which may or may not be helping the chemotherapy in fighting off my tumour cells. Given the choice of a shedding face for the chance something might happen to extend my life, or a non-shedding face and a potentially shorter life... I go with my current flaky situation. As for my hair, it is regularly cut by the best hairdresser in the world (or at least Winnipeg). Her name is Monika and she is awesome. Thank you so much Monika for all of the many hair cuts over the past many years (and hopefully many years to come). But you were probably asking about the brain/tumour part eh? Well, I have not had a single headache for as long as I can remember. I have not experienced any nausea. The worst that has happened recently was a seizure earlier this week. After a rough couple of days finishing the chemo (with the after effects of the seizure tacked on) the earlier part of this week wasn't fun. But today I was feeling top notch as Nicole and I hit the town, and I ordered a pizza pop the size of a city bus. There will be a picture coming to a Facebook page near you. Maybe I'll even get it up on here somehow. Right now however, it is 1:23 in the morning and I must be up at 8:00 to take my morning pills.
#7) Is this question an inside joke that only Nicole will get?
Yes. Why? Everything Nicole references is in 7's. I have just inadvertently turned the inside joke into an outside joke by explaining why it should have been funny to her. Should an outside joke just be called a "joke"? Please answer in the form of a blog entry which you update infrequently and constantly feel guilty about not making more regular posts.
#8) Heads or tails?
You're not even holding a coin. Even if you were, how would I know what it had landed on? Could I trust you? How would we find a way to figure all of this out in a reasonable amount of time? Why were we flipping a coin in the first place? This is stupid.
#9) What are your plans for tomorrow?
This depends on when you read this. February 18th (which is tomorrow for me as I write this) I plan to scout out a new countertop dishwasher to replace the one that broke down on Nicole & I, while partying like it is 1999. We will also spontaneously dance... perhaps in a Sobey's. We probably need more milk.
CHEERS!!!
Post-Script: I am far to tired an uninterested in proof-reading the above. Please do so for me and post any errors in comment form. I will then go back and amend the document as necessary. It's called outsourcing, all of the cool bloggers are doing it.
