The Sun Also Rises is a novel by Ernest Hemingway, the great American writer, published in 1926. I think, and I could be wrong, that he was residing in Paris at the time of publication and my only connection to Hemingway and his great work of 1926 is that I once stood outside the apartment he lived in while I was touring the streets of Paris several years ago.
Hemingway was a veteran of the Great War and The Sun Also Rises was written about the generation of American expatriates who suffered through that war and continued a disillusioned and decadent life in Europe afterwards. It’s also about human fortitude and the resilience of the human spirit so I was attracted to the title and almost used it for today’s post but then changed my mind. Don’t want to be riding on Hemingway’s coat tails through my modest blog. Better to stay in the shadow of one of the giants of American literature and one of his greatest works.
I must admit, I have never read The Sun Also Rises but I am aware of its synopsis which is why I almost plagiarized the title. I sure don’t live a decadent lifestyle (though it’s sounds attractive!) but life can be a source of disillusionment and of course I bear witness every day of my life to Linda’s fortitude and resilience. The only decadence we ever get is when a dinner guest brings us a rich desert!
And so, to Linda; it’s been a tough couple of weeks. An overnight stay in hospital (sleeping in emergency is a first for me!), chemotherapy, side effects, medications. It really is a roll in the deep a fair bit of the time for her. Feelings of “heaviness”, fatigue, constant, debilitating pain, blood tests and the frustration of not being able to do all the things she used to do all contribute to making life quite trying for her.
We have broken out the wheelchair for her to get to appointments, and she now uses her walker to get around the house. She had scans two days in a row along with some time with palliative care doctors and councillors. It is tough watching for me so it must be terrible for her.
It can be quite awful to see a vibrant person fade away physically as she has and it can make you disillusioned with life and the universe and wonder why things happen the way they do. Linda’s famous lunching has fallen away somewhat but she has been very lucky to have devoted friends and family who go out of their way to come and see her.
But the human spirit can be a wonderful thing and just as I was despairing that she seemed to be spiralling downwards somewhat, Linda rallied and started to feel much better. So well in fact that she returned today to her well-known lunching ways. The legend of Lady Lunchalot lives on!
Linda’s scans came back positively. There are signs of lesions healing on her bones and her tumour markers have dipped for the first time in a long time. The oncologist wasn’t completely happy though, being a bit worried about side effects. She will do another round of chemo on Tuesday, all things going well. The oncologist also provided a script for a secret stash of steroids to accompany the bottle she will receive after chemo on Tuesday, just a little boost for her when she needs it after her regular supply runs out.
So, the human spirit has triumphed once again over disillusionment, Hemingway would be happy and, once again, The Sun Also Rises.
We go on.
Strange Notations From a Laborious Life 