'Twas (Almost) the Night Before Surgery

It's going to be essential I not lose my sense of humor through this rat's nest called cancer and life. I mean, I'm over here texting with a lady from my church about whether I'd be willing to wear a Gandalf wig or a hat shaped like a sloth to hide my soon-to-be-bald head. 

I suppose if you're going down (even if temporarily), you might as well do it with some flair. 

Enter ChatGPT, the wonder that is generative artificial intelligence. It only makes sense in my case, right? If you're a living, breathing human being with a brain tumor, why not recruit the assistance of a non-living, wicked smart artificial brain?

I've used ChatGPT on a few occasions for work, to help brainstorm some marketing ideas or synthesize data. It really is a jaw-dropping wonder to watch in action. Oh, for sure, there are all sorts of dark and scary to the whole idea of AI, but for the basic things I'm doing, it is hilariously helpful at times (also wildly inaccurate other times).

So, as I stare down the prospect of brain surgery in less than 48 hours, I thought I'd put ChatGPT to work for me, to add a little levity before the storm and provide free distracting entertainment.

I gave it the following simple prompt and nothing more. (And for those who are new to the scene, I nicknamed my tumor Flash early on, as a nod to the fact that it grew so terribly slow and in honor of the sloth from Zootopia):

Write a humorous poem about a girl named Courtney with a brain tumor nicknamed Flash being surgically removed.

Seconds later, this was the result:

In a town where giggles and glee were rife,

Lived a lass named Courtney, full of life.

But tucked within her, causing quite a fuss,

Was Flash, a tumor, mischievous and thus.

Flash played its pranks in Courtney's merry mind,

Turning thoughts topsy-turvy, leaving chaos behind.

But Courtney, undeterred, with a twinkle in her eyes,

Declared, "It's time, Flash, for your grand goodbyes!"

Off to the hospital, with courage so bold,

Courtney marched, her spirit unsold.

Surgeons assembled, with tools sharp and keen,

To evict Flash from its mischievous scene.

But Flash, oh Flash, was quite the trickster,

Ducking and dodging, a wily fixer.

Round and round, it led them astray,

A surgical ballet, an unconventional play.

Yet Courtney's resolve was steadfast and true,

With humor and pluck, she bid Flash adieu.

Snip! Snip! Snip! Went the surgeon's endeavor,

Till Flash's antics were foiled forever.

With a wink and a grin, Courtney awoke anew,

No more Flash antics, her skies now blue.

For in life's grand theater, with its twists and its turns,

Courtney emerged victorious, her spirit brightly burns.

So here's to Courtney, our hero so bright,

Who faced down Flash with all her might.

And to all who face challenges, big or small,

With laughter and courage, we conquer them all!

I don't know about the "courage so bold" or the "hero so bright" part, but it is, indeed, time for Flash's "grand goodbyes"!

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Functional updates

I'll try to carve out space in each post to provide updates on where I am in the process. So, if you're just here for the nuts and bolts, in the future you can slide straight here to the bottom and skip my idle wanderings above.

Well, it's almost go-time. Final imaging and pre-op appointment with the neurosurgeon tomorrow. I'll also get the official time for the surgery by tomorrow afternoon. I'll probably post one more time tomorrow evening, but then beyond that, I make no promises as to when I (or my brother, who is my back-up) will post again.

As mentioned previously, I humbly request of anyone local: please don't come to the hospital expecting to visit or see me. Priority one will be my recovery and that's hard enough to do when there is a constant stream of medical providers, let alone a constant stream of visitors. I'm going to need all the rest I can get, both in the hospital and once I first get home, but give me some time and I'll eventually surface. 

I continue to be overwhelmed by the people reaching out, saying they are praying for me. Words will never express how grateful I am, so I won't even try. 💕

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