It’s probably safe to say that the word any patient fears hearing the most is cancer. It’s wild that one little word can instantly change your whole world, isn’t it? And when you get a call from someone you love, and they say, “I have cancer,” it’s a gut punch unlike any other. That’s what I felt last Wednesday when my sister called me on her way home from the ER. “What?” was the only thing I could say. I sat there for a moment in stunned silence. She went on to explain that the ER doctor had just informed her that what she thought was a bladder infection—or maybe…

We see it on television, in movies, and in real life. Someone moves to a new town for a fresh start. A guy who is unhappy at work quits and lands his dream job. A brokenhearted girl looks to her left and finds true love with the wedding singer who had been there all along. While all these things can happen in real life—and sometimes do—we tend to believe that external change is the path to a happier life. If I get a new job, I’ll be happier in my career. If I move to a new zip code, I’ll have a fresh start. If I start over with someone…

Recently, I was talking with someone who had just finished chemotherapy treatment. He explained why patients usually feel so crappy after a round of chemo, telling me, “Well, you know, it kills the cancer cells, but it also kills good cells.” I knew that chemo killed good cells, too, but I had never really put two and two together. I thought about how that same concept is true for so many things, and then I remembered a conversation from years ago that reminded me that one of those things is emotions. I once had a friend who was on an antidepressant medication; he had been taking it for a few months, and…

How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the book, was published in 1957, and the animated television special’s original air date was December 18, 1966. Since then, the Grinch is—at least during December—an integral part of American life and is beloved by young and old alike. And it’s not just the book or the TV special we love; we also adore the Grinch because we can identify with him, and everyone loves a good redemption story. I’m not saying we can identify with him because we are Grinches (although some of us are), but I think we all know at least one year-round Grinch—someone miserable who attempts to make everyone around them…

Tuesday, October 29th, is National Cat Day. According to the calendar, every day of the year is a day to be celebrated and is therefore dubbed National Something Day. Many days have several “somethings” to be celebrated, which works well for those who like to have options. My favorite so far (aside from Festivus, of course) is January 16th: National Nothing Day, a day dedicated to doing nothing. (Side note: If you plan to observe National Nothing Day, taking a leave day from work is probably a good idea.) If you’re interested in finding out what you should be celebrating each day, here’s a helpful link: https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com With National Cat Day approaching, I decided it would be…

When I get to know someone and tell them what I’ve seen or about the things that have happened in my life, I sometimes wonder if they think I exaggerate or make up stories. Often, I will throw a “This is true, I swear” statement somewhere in the story as I tell it, especially if I notice a look of disbelief on someone’s face. When telling the story of finding out that my dad wasn’t my biological father and that it turns out it was his friend (also our neighbor) who was half responsible for my existence, I make sure to include how I spent my whole childhood and much…

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe   It’s his 95th birthday, and he’s just finished getting dressed for our outing. Preparing for this (or any) outing takes my Uncle Donny much longer than when he was a younger man. My brother, sister-in-law, and I have all traveled here to celebrate his birthday. We sat at the kitchen table fifteen minutes earlier, visiting with him, Aunt Betty, and Cousin Russ, and we probably should have cut that part of the visit short a little earlier to give Uncle Donny plenty of time to…

Summer officially ends on September 22, and the chill in the air this morning was a reminder that autumn will arrive soon. I love fall and everything that comes with it: the trees proudly display their leaves in stunning shades of orange, yellow, red, and brown, the cool (not cold) temperatures that, for some reason, make the air feel cleaner, a hot cup of coffee on a brisk Sunday morning, and most of all, the feelings of nostalgia that every year accompany the arrival of the season. Halloween is another thing I love about fall, and just like Ralphie never forgot his beloved Red Rider, I will never forget the…

I just had a birthday, and with it came the realization that I am now a member of a group I never imagined I’d belong to: The Old Maids Club. You remember the Old Maid card game, right? It’s the one where the loser was the one who ended up with the Old Maid card—but how many of us considered that we might one day be the Old Maid? I certainly didn’t see it coming, and, like most kids, thoughts about the future didn’t go far beyond the arrival of the Sears Christmas catalog. If mention of the Christmas catalog, with its legendary toy section, gives you the warm fuzzies,…

This upcoming September will be sixteen years that I haven’t had a drink of alcohol—not even one sip. I don’t say this because I’m looking for kudos or words of congratulations; I say it because I wanted to write about one of the things I had to do when I first quit drinking that helped stop me from falling off the wagon. It is something they talk about in recovery programs, but I didn’t learn it through a program. As with almost every challenge in life, I figured it out the hard way (which I’ve written about before). I watched football regularly, and my favorite team was the Miami Dolphins.…