Age - How old are you now?
39
When did you start your online diary?
November 2005
Marital Status?
Married with three kids
Occupation - What kind of work do you do?
Registered Nurse...now...a coffee shop owner
Hobbies - What do you like to do, besides keep this diary?
Ride my road bike, garden, bird watch, read sad and weird stories
Location - Where are you from? Where are you now?
Nebraska
Why did you start writing your diary online?
I wanted to write about how my Dad's diagnosis of lung cancer
affected me and my life. It's my coping mechanism.
Do you communicate with readers of your diary?
Yes...I have a few faithful readers from my old blog...dash
blog it all...
How much email feedback do you recieve from your diary? Is it mainly positive or negative?
So far, except for the occasional spammer...it's been positive.
Have you met any new friends because of your diary?
Yes...many.
Has your motivation changed over time?
I'm not sure if I understand. My motivation has always been to
write...this is another chapter in my life...and I needed a spot to write about
that.
How has the diary changed your life?
I think it has. I think writing has enabled me to be a stronger
person.
Do your friends and family know you keep this
journal/read it? If
so have
you had any really negative experiences as a result?
If not why?
Some do...and yes I've had a few BAD experiences about some
of what I've posted before.
How has the diary benefited you? Your friends? Or total strangers?
I would say benefited me...and surprised my friends. I hope it's
been a source of a few smiles for many.
Has your diary ever gotten you in trouble? If so, how? Scenerio: If you were wronged by a person that you know reads your diary, would you bash them anyway? What about family? What about co-workers?
No...not that I'm aware of anyway.
If you had to do it over again from the beginning, what
would you change?
I would take longer with my posts and make sure they made
total sense before I published them.
Do you have any favorite entries?
12/13/05
When you find yourself delivering very good, hot Colombian coffee (from a reputable
coffee shop) and Xanax to your parents home and wishing you had a vat of whiskey as
well you know things are going downhill. One minute you may find yourself making
homemade apple fritters, the next...telling your Dad that the Dr called and he has
non small cell squamous cancer of the lung. You may find yourself setting up PET
scans and bone scans and buying groceries for your folks. You may find yourself
crying when you least suspect it. You might wonder how you can smile and wish anyone
happy holidays when your own are tainted by the appearance of those bastard cancer
cells.
We are now in the process of staging.
You can't know how awful it was to take the phone call from the Dr in the early evening hours, decide to wait overnight to talk to your folks so they won't have a sleepless night, go in the morning and see them turn to you with fearful eyes and then say "Dad, it's cancer".
I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.
