In 2013, it looked like Allie Brosh had disappeared off the face of the Earth, or at least the face of the internet. In reality, she was (of course, duh) still around, but she was in the midst of a years-long struggle to grieve and get a handle on her health, both physically and mentally.
During all the years she was gone, I did periodically wonder what was going on with her. I know I wasn’t alone. Her blog, Hyperbole & a Half, was wildly popular. Why wasn’t she posting more? Or at all? Where did she go?? We missed her alot, is what I’m saying.
Solutions and Other Problems is her explanation for what she was doing during that time, in her own unique way (which I feel confident saying is a way no one else in the world would ever express herself…it’s magical). It’s her explanation for where she went, memories from childhood (of course), and how her life fell apart.
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that 2020 was unkind to pretty much everyone, and it was also the year I got my own taste of what happens when your life falls completely apart. When 2020 started, we were still mourning our dog who had unexpectedly died the November before. In January, we learned that our other dog’s cancer had spread and we likely only had a few months with her left. Then March came, and along with it, COVID and quarantining and months of uncertainty and rage. In May, our dog finally succumbed to the cancer she’d been fighting for two years. COVID was still happening, so we had to say goodbye to her with masks on. Meanwhile, the world felt like it was falling apart.
And then, in August, it did. For us at least. I had gone to the dentist in July after finding a strange spot and bump on my tongue. The dentist referred me to an oral surgeon, who did a biopsy. The biopsy, unfortunately, was what alerted me that I had cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma, the most common type of oral cancer. I was referred to a cancer center, and thus began my journey.

After diagnosis, I received my treatment plan, which involved a surgery that removed and reconstructed part of my tongue, removal of lymph nodes in my neck (as unfortunately the cancer had spread) which is horrifyingly known as a neck dissection, and muscle was removed from my leg in order to reconstruct my tongue and replace muscle the cancer had spread into in my neck. Then came radiation and chemo. Now? I’m just healing. I’ve been relearning how to eat and speak. I had a trach for a month and a half. I still have a feeding tube that they won’t take out until I can maintain my weight on my own. My leg is mostly healed but there are lasting effects from the surgery and from radiation that I’ll be dealing with for the rest of my life.
But I’m alive. And, hopefully, cancer free. (I won’t know for sure until my follow up scan in February, but the surgeon was able to get clean margins in all cancerous areas, and my oncologists seem optimistic, which is ABSOLUTELY what you want your oncologists to be, if at all possible.)
Now is the time I’m supposed to be taking it easy, but because I’m starting to feel better, I also want to take on a bunch of new projects. This is not unusual for me this time of year, but it’s a bit out of control right now now. I haven’t done Cannonball in a few years (I meant to last year, but then…well, you know), but this year it felt right. Since Cannonball is HERE in order to raise funds for the American Cancer Society, and I’ve personally benefited from the work that wonderful group does, it doesn’t feel right NOT to do it.
(Sorry for making you read all of that before I actually talked about the book, only not really because that’s kind of my thing.)
If you’re at all familiar with Hyperbole & a Half (the blog and/or the book), you know what to expect from Allie Brosh in Solutions and Other Problems. Somehow Brosh ties together seemingly simple things with hilariously bad drawings (that aren’t BAD bad, they’re obviously GOOD bad) and then your heart hurts? Or you’re laughing so hard that you’re crying? Or you’re crying and laughing at the same time? I love the way Allie Brosh looks at the world, and the way she finds deep connections in even the most mundane of details. Also, I love her stories about her childhood, because children are demented little monsters who kidnap their neighbor’s cat after sneaking into their house without their knowledge TRUE STORY read the book.
I had put off reading this initially because a friend told me that, as funny as the book is, there were some dark and depressing things in it. While I was going through treatment, I was in no headspace to read dark and depressing, but I’m glad I’m at a place now where I finally could. Still, when I got to this page, I almost had to put it down:
(Sometimes you don’t want to be reminded of your shitty medical issue but other times you’re OK with it as long as someone is hilariously illustrating it with Microsoft Paint drawings. Also, sometimes there is something really comforting about knowing that you’re not the only one who is having a terrible time.)
In Solutions and Other Problems, Allie Brosh is, yes, telling us about how her life fell spectacularly to pieces, but she also allowed us to see how she’s going about putting it back together. Better still, she shows us that the pieces might never go back the way they used to, but it’s OK. We’re still here and we’re trying our best, and that’s all that matters.
Crossposted here, along with a bunch of other sad and terrible thoughts about cancer (fun times).
My heart goes out to you. You have come through so much. I hope that you will be fully healed. I have this book in my to read pile. I love Allie. I have a severe mental illness and she knows how it feels. Her way of looking at the world is so funny and heartbreaking.
She is the best! The way she writes about mental illness is the truest I’ve ever seen it expressed. I hope you’re doing OK, the last year hasn’t been easy!
I am so very, very happy that you’re healthy enough to be able to join us this year. I’ve always enjoyed your reviews, and I can’t wait to read more.
Thank you so much! I’m so excited to be back, I love it here. 🙂
Oh my goodness, what a year! Thank you for sharing your story, and I hope you’re feeling better every day!
Thank you! I am finally starting to feel human again. 🙂
This book made me laugh and cry. I loved it.
My dad had squamous cell on his tongue and had to have the same tongue and neck surgery in 2019. It was not easy—and that was without the added leg muscle procedure, chemo and radiation. I am sending you good thoughts for complete recovery! I’m so sorry about your dogs, too. 2020 was a shit year.
I’m so sorry your dad had to go through this! How is he doing now? Honestly, it was because of people like your dad that I was able to get through everything. I figured if other people had gone through it and were OK, I could be, too. I hope he’s well now!
He is good! He stills sees the oncologist once or twice a year but no recurrence. He can talk normally again—he sounds different to close family but if you met him for the first time you’d never be able to tell he’d had part of his tongue removed. The neck dissection took longer to heal than we expected, but his doctors were never concerned and it’s fully healed now. There are a few foods he can’t eat because they hurt his tongue (like really crusty bread) and part of his tongue is still numb so he has to be careful with hot food, but otherwise he’s back to normal. It takes time—but I hope you will get there too!
That is so great, and it gives me a lot of hope! Cancer does so much fucked up shit to people, it’s nice to know people come through it OK in the end.
You’re back! You’re well enough to participate in the Cannonball Read again. So nice to “see” you again. I’ve been reading your blog entries, you really have been through such a horrible time of it last year – I keep wanting to comment on the blog and then not doing so. Give yourself time to heal and recover. Fingers crossed the worst is over now.
Thank you! I’m excited to read all the things (books and reviews) this year!
You’ve survived quite a lot in a year! I know the pain of losing beloved dogs to cancer. And then for you to deal with your health issues top of Covid is just terrible. Hopefully your recovery will continue on track, and the year will be a better one! As for the book – I’ve not read any of Allie Brosh’s works, I’ll have to check her out.
I’m so sorry you had to go through that, too. I’d definitely recommend any and all of Allie Brosh’s books…they make me laugh so hard I cry.
I’m so happy you’re back, and that you’re feeling human again!
Being human is the best! (Sometimes…)
Wow! This is just another reason why 2020 (and cancer) can go F*** itself. I am glad you are back Cannonballing and hope that 2021 brings health and healing.
Thank you! So far, so good, I hope it continues for all of us!
Welcome back! Last year was a doozy, but very excited to see you’ve come through the other side and hopefully cancer-free too.
Thank you! I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
PS: Doozy is such a great word…
You’re a bad ass, and I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with so much. And so glad Allie Brosh came through to help. She’s soooo great, and I just got this the other day and can’t wait to dig in.
I don’t feel like a bad ass, but thank you! I hope you love the book!