When it comes to following prescription drug dosing and directions, I’m like a teacher’s pet.  I’m terrified of potential drug side effects – almost to a neurotic and paranoid level.  And I do exactly what my doctor says.  But many patients don’t or can’t.  Especially with the economy...

Some people feel their body doesn’t belong to them anymore during illness; it belongs to the doctors.  With cancer, I didn’t just surrender my body,  I also relinquished the privacy of my home. During surgery and treatments, my mom traveled to San Francisco and moved into my studio apartment. ...

God talk is embedded in a lot of cancer conversations: “It is all a part of God’s plan.” “The universe is trying to tell me something.”  “God doesn’t give you something you cannot handle.” (Major puke on that one.) “I’ll say a prayer for you.”  These exchanges are so common...

I have spent the last six years reading, researching, and writing about cancer.  I am so fulfilled by this work, but sometimes I wonder if it is always the healthiest choice of how to spend my time. My cancer has never been in remission and it could be with me for a long while yet. Cancer is an uninvited...

I injured my knee while napping on Wednesday.  (Who gets injured napping?)  Still super painful on Thursday, Shannon pushed me into my doctor’s office in a wheelchair.  The cause of the pain is still a mystery.  We joked with my doc that it’s H1N1 in my knee, or a very new and original...

Bigger isn’t always better.  More isn’t always better.  Louder, snazzier, cuter, more prolific isn’t always better.  But I think smarter IS always better. I was recently asked how I decide what organizations I donate to.  A few years back the head of the American Cancer Society blew me away. ...

I’m no angel.  In high school I smoked a lot of pot and hash.  A straight-A student, who rarely smoked on school days, I felt completely justified getting bake on the weekends. I wasn’t looking for a mellow buzz; I loved getting completely messed up.  I had a blast being stoned with my best...

Fear is something I have experienced much of in the last nine years since my diagnosis, and my feeling is that it is not something that I “surmount” or “overcome”, but something that I go “through”.  It is not always pleasant, and coming out on the other side is...

I was recently asked how I decide what organizations to make donations to.  Here’s my answer: I try to remove my emotions from the equation and not focus on my cancer story. Instead I look for a bird’s eye view on the situation.  I act like a business person making good investment decisions. ...

A great part of being an author and blogger is all of the emails I get from readers who I never would have met otherwise.  Rich Devlin is one of those people. Rich sent me a riveting poem a few weeks ago called The Price of Survivorship, which you can read below. He recently lost his wife of 38 years...