What ifs, why nots, and the chemotherapy multiverse

Two of the recent Spider-Man movies (Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse), as well as the critically acclaimed movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, depict the concept of multiple parallel universes (universi?), something that appeals to me recently. As I journey through the Chemotherapy Multiverse, where many people don’t know what to say to me, where I feel nauseous and fatigued, where all activities centre around a location to empty my ileostomy bag if required, I like to imagine another me, living a parallel life. Maybe she’s hard at work on her next book, training for a race, climbing a mountain. Maybe she’s found a new profession or is learning a new language. I’m not complaining—my treatments will hopefully add years to my life—but I do hope to exit the Chemotherapy Multiverse soon and re-enter the healthy one.
          One part of the current Multiverse is a tendency to flounder among what ifs.

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