I Planned A Quiet Year; Life Said “Plot Twist”

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Chaos doesn’t check your calendar. Right after sharing a favorite story on Roanoke, life veered hard: my grandmother’s second cancer diagnosis pulled our family into caretaker mode across an ocean, and my own endometriosis battle hit a point where surgery was the only option. What followed was a season of hospitals, long-distance updates, and the strange quiet that comes when you’re waiting for news you can’t control.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hello gang.
I know it's been a few monthssince I've posted anything, and
for that I sincerely, sincerelyapologize.
A lot has been going on in mylife, and it's just been utter
chaos.
So the last time I posted was onRoanoke.
And it was a great episode, Ihave to say.

(00:21):
It was my favorite episode sofar.
And as soon as I posted it onthat Wednesday, my mother came
home from her family vacationwith her friends.
Obviously, I would have beenthere if that was her family.
Just kidding.
So, um, humor is how I cope.
It's my coping mechanism.

(00:41):
I apologize.
So, what happened was she got atext message from our family
overseas, and they said that uhjust come right away because it
doesn't look very well forgrandma.
And so it was discovered thatshe uh had cancer.

(01:02):
Uh this would be the second timeshe had cancer.
She had it once already for umbreast cancer.
So my parents went over there.
I was here just chilling, notreally losing my mind if I'm
being honest.
Losing my mind every day.
I didn't know what washappening.
Yes, I had connection with themand I was interactive, you know,

(01:24):
and I spoke with them almostdaily, but like it's different
when they're over there andyou're over here.
I it's hard to actually put itinto words.
So anyway, she had surgery, yes,she had cancer.
They got rid of it all, thankGod.
And so what happened was my momand dad had to stay there for

(01:47):
quite a few months, and they hadto help her get back to her new
normal.
They were changing her bandages,feeding her, etc., etc., what
have you, being her take carers,her caretakers, excuse me, for a
number of months.

(02:08):
So during that time wasliterally May through August,
roughly, that they were there.
I, in June, had to have surgerymyself.
Uh it was a surgery that I knewwas coming, and then I pushed it
off for far too long.
Um, and it was just the worstscenario, because I was planning

(02:32):
on having the surgery in Maybefore my parents went on their
vacation for a month.
And unfortunately, because ofgrandma and her cancer
diagnosis, uh, she obviouslytook precedent.
There was no there was no doubtin my mind she was coming first.
Like I didn't care what I had todo.
I wanted to make sure my mom anddad were there for her and that

(02:53):
they weren't, you know, scaredfor me because my surgery was
nowhere near as big as hers.
Hers took hours.
Mine took hours as well, but itwasn't as large.
Mine was for endometriosis.
For those of you listening, itis a annoying, annoying
diagnosis.

(03:13):
For months I didn't know what Ihad.
And I almost lost my job.
I lost friends.
I my mom and dad were severelyupset at me, thinking that I was
just like calling out of workfor no reason.
No one believed the amount ofpain I was in, and I didn't know
what to do.

(03:34):
So then I switched doctors, wehad ran all these tests, tests
upon tests, colonoscopies,endoscopies, all the oscopies
you can think of.
We ran allergy tests and bloodtests and nothing and nothing
and nothing and nothing andnothing until I switched my one
doctor, and she was like, Let'stry this pill.

(03:57):
And for two years, that pillhelped me.
And for two years that pillsaved my life.
And for two years that pillsustained me and made me whole
again.
And then those two years wereup, because those that pill is
only good for two years.
And it was finally time for meto have surgery, and

(04:18):
unfortunately it s so didgrandma.
So I had mine in June.
It took about a month, twomonths-ish, I would say roughly
three months to heal, if I'mbeing honest with you.
And I finally started feelinglike myself, and then I decided
to take a class on creativewriting.
So I took the class on creativewriting along with going to work

(04:41):
full-time, and I completely wasoh in over my head, but I aced
the class and I learned a lotabout myself through that class.
So that's where I have been forthe past forever and a day, and
like I said, I'm apologizing somuch for ghosting all of you.

(05:02):
It was definitely never, ever myintention.
I have scripts ready to go, andI plan on posting again every
other Wednesday, if you'll haveme, of course, um, on the
Sanctum of Strange podcast.
I am Nikki, and I do appreciateall of you being here, and I

(05:22):
hope you all have a fantasticNew Year's, and thank you so so
much for sticking with me upuntil this point.
Have a fantastic night.
And also as always, thank youfor making me and the Sanctum of
Strange podcast your home forthe strange and spooky.