Cancer And Community
I recently asked a group of cancer survivors if anything good emerged from their disease. One woman gestured at the people around the room and said simply, “This.” She went on, “Everyone here is a new friend.” I knew what she meant. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and found community. At first, […]
The Vivid Images Of Cancer
People with cancer often form mental images of the disease or its treatment. When I was first diagnosed, I heard people compare their cancers to a game of Pac-Man. They visualized killing off the cancer cells one-by-one until they were all gone. When people live with cancer as a chronic disease, their mental images are […]
Appreciating The Normal
A man with cancer just told me that he felt joyous when he was on chemo. That was a little startling because I’ve never heard the words joyous and chemo used in the same sentence before. He went on to say that the chemotherapy caused his tumors to shrink and, when they did, he suddenly […]
Cancer And Prayer
Every person affected by cancer faces challenges. There are the challenges of the initial diagnosis and coming to grips with the fact that life is suddenly different. There’s the challenge of getting through the often arduous treatment. And some are confronted with an even more difficult challenge – the realization that no treatment is likely […]
My Dog Who Loved Flannel
This column is about cancer, but this week, I’m writing about my dog who died a few days ago. She didn’t die from cancer, but she was my constant companion during my cancer experience. Ellie came to live with me thirteen years ago when she was already about three years old. Her previous owner had […]
Purple Ribbons At The Lincoln Street Diner
There’s a basket filled with purple ribbons next to the cash register at the Lincoln Street Diner. Purple is the color associated with pancreatic cancer, the disease that took the life of Bunny O’Brien/Schassburger. Her son, Christopher O’Brien, owns the diner and he and his family want to make more people aware of this devastating […]
Cancer And Hope
Cancer and hope are two topics that often intersect. People with cancer sometimes wonder if maintaining hope in the face of a grim diagnosis is a good idea or a bad idea. My response is that hope is always good, but it’s a mistake to define hope strictly in the context of being cured. When […]
The Guys At The Corner Table
Every Friday morning at 8:00 am, a group of men get together for breakfast at the Royal Court Restaurant. Construction workers, teachers, salesmen, firefighters. Some are retired while others stop by on their way to work. What’s noteworthy is that our paths would never have crossed except for our one shared experience – we’ve all […]
Small Acts Of Heroism
TV shows and magazine articles routinely recognize heroes at this time of year. In keeping with that theme, I thought I would select an individual who’s been especially heroic in the face of cancer and write an inspirational holiday column about him or her. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized […]
Pat Thonney
Pat Thonney died last week. She was one of the rocks of the Cancer Resource Center. Pat was a nutritionist, and food – especially healthy food – was a recurring theme in her life. During her tenure with our groups, we saw our food offerings escalate. We began with coffee and a snack. Then […]
