Stick with me on this one, dear readers - I promise to make a point at the end (hopefully).
For the uninitiated among us, "the schneid" refers to a losing streak, a curse, or a string of bad luck of any type, that seems almost impossible to break (most often in sports). And further (for those with real, non-sports-obsessed lives) there is an urban legend that if an athlete or team appears on the cover of Sports Illustrated, predicting potential prosperity, the opposite will inevitably occur (The SI Cover Curse). As a Minnesota sports fan (yes, Twins, Vikings, Wild, T-Wolves, Lynx, Whitecaps all the way - sorry, NY team lovers), I live in a world where I believe that my cheering for, watching of, or even talking proudly about any of my beloved teams will cause them to lose. So to set the record straight we are NOT going to talk about the 2019 Minnesota Twins in this posting.
Since Minute 1 of my diagnosis with Multiple Myeloma, I have been jawing ad nauseam about it. Sharing my experiences with anyone who will listen. Charting the course of my ups and downs. Even this blog post is yet another outlet for my verbiage (I can vividly remember laying on the gurney in the ER of Jersey Shore hospital shortly after "the news," when the title: The Canswer Man popped into my head). I've done practically everything but get myself on the cover of Sports Illustrated (or would it be Multiple myeloma Illustrated ?). And despite all of this exposure (expose'), the curse did not seem to emerge. My prognosis was about as optimistic as could have been imagined. My progress advanced along predicted lines - thanks to the watchful guidance of my Onc team. And my prospects of a long and healthy life are more than just wishful thinking - they are real and medically documented.
So at least as far as my health is concerned, it looks like talking about it may not actually be a curse. In fact, I highly recommend finding an outlet for your feelings during the process of battling a significant disease challenge. Find a receptive ear, join a support group, take up painting or pottery, write a blog - do something/anything that helps you articulate your feelings (fears, hopes). get them off of your chest and out of your mind. Make more room in your head and your heart for positive thoughts, and focus on the things that you can control or affect. It worked for me, and I can only hope that it will work for you. to get off the sickness schneid.
Still not gonna talk about the Twins (oh crap, I just did).
