We met a lot of people in the medical profession during Alex’s illness—not just doctors and nurses, but all sorts of people attached to the process who I never thought about before. Most were awesome people—selfless and caring. Some were not. All of them taught me lessons about the reality of today’s medical profession. When […]
From a journal Alex began after her cancer diagnosis. Cancer. What is the first thing you think of when you hear this word that provokes so many reactions? Maybe you have known and loved an individual who battled this disease. Maybe you have been diagnosed yourself and are looking for insight into another individual’s life […]
Shortly after being diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, Alex started a journal. Her mother found it on Alex’s computer shortly after Alex passed away. There were only a few entries. Here’s how she described her introduction to cancer. The Wake Up Call It was very early in the morning, before sunrise, when I awoke; one of […]
“Let me tell you something you already know.” “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life.” “But it ain’t how […]
In June of 2013, my wife and I were awakened by a phone call. Her mother, whose health had been failing, was dying. We needed to come to the hospital immediately. What followed was an emotional and stressful morning—especially for my wife, but also for me. I had never seen someone die before. I didn’t […]
Almost 40 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer. It’s happened to me twice. The first time came in September 2000. I was sitting in my office when my doctor called with the results of a biopsy taken earlier in the week. He told me I had melanoma. “What does that mean?” I asked. […]