I’ve long been afraid of medication, even over-the-counter meds. Since way before my cancer diagnosis, I was scared of what the side effects could do. I opted for just feeling my pain or taking natural remedies instead. But having cancer changed some of that for me.
I used to not even take Tylenol for a headache. Now I toss back two extra-strength at the first twinge of pain. I want to nip pain in the bud because A) Feeling pain sometimes launches me into a cancer PTSD anxiety spiral and B) Since cancer I feel like I have filled my life time quota of pain. Why have any more than I need?
Without going into huge detail about my bowels, I’ll just say that my doctor wants me to start taking a medication that contains aspertame and might make me feel bloated and crap a lot. (Or it might not.) The sample is sitting on my kitchen counter. I don’t want to take it. And then I laugh at myself. Aspertame is ridiculously benign compaired to the hundreds of milicuries of radioactive iodine I’ve consumed. Can I have made it through cancer treatment and still act like such a wimp about over-the-counter, pink lemonade flavored medication? Indeed, I can.
Has going through a serious medical illness changed your relationship to having to take medication? Are you more or less likely to take over the counter pills now?
“Everything Changes is, without doubt, the most forthright, emotionally sophisticated, and plain-old valuable book of its kind I've seen.”
