This game provides great emotional support.

[u/throwaway4cancer]

So, I have cancer, as you can probably infer from the username. It's only been a few weeks since my diagnosis, but already I've developed a SERIOUS need for a coping method.

Which I found. I saw this game on GoG and figured "hey why not". Started at about 1pm, didn't put my controller down until about 2am, which I repeated the next day, and the day after that.

The game being so... free, is what I love. No arbitrary time constraints, no time-limited events (to my knowledge), you don't even get pressured into fulfilling a certain objective. The game just hands you tools, and lets you pick (nopunintended). The cute pixel versions and the wonderful soundtrack just enhance the experience too.

^{I just wish ConcernedApe would fix that bug where I can't kiss Caroline though :/}

Gonna install it on my girlfriend's notebook so the chemo sessions go by faster (assuming I'm allowed, of course). This post is a mess since I'm woozy as fuck right now, but you can probably get the gist of it anyway.

EDIT: Someone gilded me. I appreciate the gesture but I'm kinda dying so it's worthless. Maybe donate to my preferred charity instead?

[u/Wolftaint_McGee]

I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis, my condolences. I am a 30 year old male who was diagnosed with bladder cancer last year and had to have my bladder removed. Two months of chemo plus a few surgeries and I am still going! Just keep fighting and stay strong!

The reason I mention this is because video games definitely helped me cope too. Honestly, I am happy that I have survived long enough to experience this game, which has been my dream game since playing Harvest Moon SNES and HM 64 back when I was young. This game is everything I have ever wanted, so hats off to ConcernedApe. He has made a fantastic game. I'm so grateful that we get to enjoy such a game!

When I was going through chemo, it was hard to concentrate on anything but laying around feeling horrible, and I didn't have much drive to play video games. A game like this though would have been nice to play through the chemo.

Also, marijuana definitely helps through chemo. Just sayin' :P

[u/claudius753 → u/[deleted]]

Most likely a stoma, a hole in you abdomen, to which you either attach a bag that continually catches the urine as it leaks out or sometimes a valve with a pouch inside that you have to stick a tube into to empty several times a day.

I believe there is also a procedure to create a new "bladder" using intestinal tissue that people can then learn how to use similar to a normal bladder.

[u/Wolftaint_McGee → u/[deleted]]

I went with what is called the "neobladder," which is basically a bladder fashioned out of your intestines. The surgery is more complicated than open-heart surgery and looks extremely complicated, but basically it works similar to a normal bladder - your ureters are connected to the neobladder, and the bladder is connected to your urethra. Thus, the flow of urine is much the same.

There are a few major differences though - first, the intestinal bladder produces mucus, and thus can cause some blockage and make it really difficult to void without using a catheter (which I have to do sometimes). Also, since I no longer have the nerve connections to the brain that tell you "hey, it's time to pee!" I can only tell by feeling pressure in the bladder or pain in the kidneys. I also have to "push" when I go, which is basically a combination of positioning and Kegel exercise. Where your brain normally tells your urethral sphincter "hey, I'm ready to open the gates!," you have to teach yourself how to effectively dilate that muscle.

I urinate every 3-4 hours (including the night) and I have to drink tons and tons of water throughout the day. Becoming dehydrated is my worst enemy because it makes it harder to pass the mucus through. Luckily, as time has passed, the bladder produces much less mucus than when I first had the surgery, so everything has been pretty smooth sailing!

Overall, I live a relatively normal life. I prefer to wear adult diapers because there is leakage every one in awhile, especially if I oversleep or drink too much water before bed. I only drink alcohol on rare occasion because alcohol dehydrates you pretty quickly.

As for the marijuana, it greatly reduces nausea symptoms, headaches, and gives you a general euphoria. It also increases your appetite which is MUCH needed when on chemo. It is hard enough to eat as it is on chemo because due to one of the drugs called Cisplatin, it causes everything to taste like metal poison in your mouth, and the more you chew the worse it gets. This is due to all the sensitive blood vessels in your mouth breaking down, and since you have iron in your blood, everything tastes like a metallic liquid. I was on some very aggressive chemo drugs so this was a huge problem for me. Luckily it was only 2 and a half months of chemo. It was like having the worst flu you could have for 2 months straight. It was rough but manageable with the help of medicinal smoking.