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cancer

Life lessons from the trenches of cancer survival

The medical facility where I received treatment is one of the most prestigious in the world, but some staff members had a lousy bedside manner. One resident — I thought of him as Dr. Worst-Case-Scenario — would always give me his gloomiest predictions.

Steven Firestein: Making Magic for Children

In 1994, a year after his brush with mortality, Firestein founded a nonprofit that would eventually become the Kids Cancer Connection. A descendant of cosmetics magnate Max Factor — whose family has donated millions to local charities — he invested $10,000 to get the project going.

Cancer and Secrets

I have cancer. It\’s thyroid cancer, which has metastasized. In every bone in my body there is a tumor eating it from the inside out.

That\’s why I was at the Cedars-Sinai Outpatient Cancer Center on June 25, 2003, having a bone infusion. I sat there on one of those comfortable chairs as the drug slowly slipped into my veins to make my bones stronger.

And that\’s where I saw her — an old friend and a former client who emigrated from Iran. We were so happy to see one another. She was there with a friend, who was there perhaps for a reason similar to mine.

Ready for Battle

Bad news on the cancer front. My CT scans, which had been 99 percent tumor-free for almost six months, show a few tiny lesions. A few tiny lesions in non-small-cell lung cancer is not a good thing. My oncologist nearly cried.

What I would give not to have to write about this. I hate lung cancer. I hate the tumors. I hate the failed miracle of the clinical trial with its snazzy new anti-cancer drug that had been working so well. It was wonderful taking those two tiny pills day after day. I felt like a bride renewing her vows every morning, wedded to another day of health. I pledged my loyalty to one treatment alone.

The Strongest Link

No matter how well things go in chemotherapy, the truth is, cancer always makes new demands on you. You can\’t afford to be a k\’nocker, pretending you know what you\’re doing or what you\’re ready for. It\’s not as if you are in charge.

Visiting the Sick

How dare I have fun during chemotherapy? It\’s not that I look forward to seven hours of treatment. But with four of six rounds behind me, I no longer feel I\’m heading into an abyss.

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More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.