No One Walks this Road Alone
This morning I read a sad NPR headline, “Journalist, 'My Cancer' Blogger Leroy Sievers Dies.” I discovered Larry Sievers' My Cancer blog on the NPR website soon after my own cancer was diagnosed in late May. By that time he had been blogging for over two years. In the short period of time that I have read his daily postings, I had grown to admire and appreciate his courage and honesty in writing about a subject most people don’t want to talk about. As Ellen McDonnell, NPR’s morning-programming director said, “Leroy gave voice to a topic that we are very uncomfortable with – death and dying. My Cancer had a face and a heart and a smile.”
NPR reporter, Shomial Ahmad, writes, “In his radio essays, in his podcast commentaries and on the blog, Sievers addressed the polite silences that surround cancer. He described his early internal debates about whether it was worth it to buy new pants and shoes. He spoke frankly about his hope that he would live long enough to read the final installment in the Harry Potter series. (He did, reporting avidly on the 759-page volume in a blog post written late at night, immediately after he finished the book.)”
As I write about my own experience with cancer, I hope I can continue in this kind of open and honest discussion about what it is like to find yourself part of the “Cancer World.” I don’t always feel strong, or optimistic and I believe that is as important to reveal as it is to talk about hope and maintaining a positive attitude. The message is not to get stuck in that drama of anger, self-pity, and depression. It is a waste of valuable time. In 2005, Larry was told that he probably had less than six months to live. Instead, for 2 1/2 years, he was able to treat the cancer with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. And with his blog he became the voice for others dealing with cancer, “speaking the words that they’re feeling.” He was often asked "What do you get out of writing the blog?" He concluded one My Cancer post with an answer: "A daily reminder that none of us walks this road alone. What could be better than that?"
... PLM
NPR reporter, Shomial Ahmad, writes, “In his radio essays, in his podcast commentaries and on the blog, Sievers addressed the polite silences that surround cancer. He described his early internal debates about whether it was worth it to buy new pants and shoes. He spoke frankly about his hope that he would live long enough to read the final installment in the Harry Potter series. (He did, reporting avidly on the 759-page volume in a blog post written late at night, immediately after he finished the book.)”
As I write about my own experience with cancer, I hope I can continue in this kind of open and honest discussion about what it is like to find yourself part of the “Cancer World.” I don’t always feel strong, or optimistic and I believe that is as important to reveal as it is to talk about hope and maintaining a positive attitude. The message is not to get stuck in that drama of anger, self-pity, and depression. It is a waste of valuable time. In 2005, Larry was told that he probably had less than six months to live. Instead, for 2 1/2 years, he was able to treat the cancer with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. And with his blog he became the voice for others dealing with cancer, “speaking the words that they’re feeling.” He was often asked "What do you get out of writing the blog?" He concluded one My Cancer post with an answer: "A daily reminder that none of us walks this road alone. What could be better than that?"
... PLM
posted by Looking for Hope | 1:58 PM
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