More Than One Cancer
Ithaca resident Skip Hewitt was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004, bladder cancer in 2009, and lymphoma in 2011. He told me, “When I was diagnosed with my first cancer, I cried. When I was diagnosed with my second cancer, I cried again. When I was diagnosed with my third cancer, I was just pissed off.” […]
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Chemo
Visitors to the Cancer Resource Center are sometimes startled to hear uproarious laughter coming from behind doors. When the visitor raises a questioning eyebrow, we respond, “Oh, that’s one of our support groups. They laugh a lot.” People expect our groups to be somber. Cancer is difficult, and there are meetings filled with concern and […]
In Honor Of Joy
Whenever I’m talking with someone living with advanced cancer, I encourage them to understand the reality of their situation but also to move forward with their lives. It’s a difficult balance. I’m devoting this column to Joy Inman who has maintained that balance better than anyone I know. Joy is now a resident at the […]
New Year’s Wishes For Friend With Cancer
It seems that I always have friends newly diagnosed with cancer. I would love to have the power to grant them wishes to make their cancer experiences a little easier. In the spirit of the New Year, I am giving myself that power. So, if you were my friend and called me to say, “I […]
When The Boss Has Cancer
I recently received a phone call that went like this: “My boss is struggling with cancer, but he clearly doesn’t want to talk about it or even acknowledge how ill he is. I’m concerned about him, but I’m also concerned about everyone else who works here. We’re acting like everything will be fine, but no […]
Head And Neck Cancers Are Difficult
If I’m in a support group, I always shut down conversations that begins with, “My cancer is worse than your cancer.” Those conversations are always pointless because every cancer is life-altering and potentially life-threatening. But one type of cancer does present exceptional challenges during treatment and recovery. These cancers are head and neck cancers, and […]
Writing About Cancer
When I began writing this newspaper column about cancer, I wondered how long it could last. After all, how many story ideas about cancer could there be? Seven years later, the ideas keep coming and I’m still writing. I’ve decided that writing about cancer is writing about life. Cancer is a lens that makes life […]
Common Phrases
I’ve worked at the Cancer Resource Center for more than 14 years and have talked with thousands of people during that time who have been affected by cancer. Although every situation is unique, I often hear certain phrases repeated on a regular basis. Here are some of them: “I just got diagnosed with cancer and […]
A Cancer Pity Party
A woman with cancer recently told me that she was planning a pity party. She explained that, “Cancer just sucks and I want to get together with my friends to acknowledge that it sucks.” Sounds reasonable. Those of us with cancer tend to put on brave faces. But there are times that we grieve for […]
Boredom of Cancer
A young man with cancer recently told me that he felt bored. That’s not something I often hear from people who are dealing with cancer, but I know what he meant. Cancer treatment isn’t a smooth and level process. There are times that you want to bury your head under your pillow because you feel […]
