Glamour editor and leukemia cancer survivor Erin Zammett Ruddy blogs Life with Cancer and is the author of My (So-Called) Normal Life. Five years ago, at the age of 23, Erin was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Immediately after her cancer diagnosis, Erin began chronicling her life with cancer in a monthly Life with Cancer column for Glamour magazine. Recently, she has launched a blog after the same name as her column."I am excited to be starting my blog for Glamour. I am going to be talking about whatever it is I am feeling about that particular day.
I hope to hear from readers that instead of being a patient or a victim -- it's something like I have this disease, what can I do with it -- how can I help other people.
Do I wish I didn't have cancer? Yes, but I wouldn't trade my life right now for anything and that life includes cancer."
While Erin is new to blogging, she is not new to writing, and she is an excellent writer. Frank, serious, open, vulnerable, and bouyant with a delightful sense of humor, her writing makes for a blog that is difficult to leave until you have read every post. Erin takes Gleevac, and in order to have a baby she will need to stop taking the drug that keeps her in cancer remission. She is very honest in sharing the anxiety and anticipation of making this choice.
From the blog, you can access the monthly column Erin writes for Glamour magazine. One of the most recent features an interview with MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Fresh Meat Diem Brown, a 25-year-old woman currently battling ovarian cancer. After hearing about Diem, and watching her on the reality show, Erin was intrigued to meet her. As a result of the time the two spent together, and sharing stories with Diem, Erin was inspired to stay positive in the midst of uncertainty.
Erin Zammett Ruddy is a phenomenal woman with a terrific attitude, and a blog we are glad she keeps.











1. I think its wonderful what Erin Ruddy is doing. Writing about an illness like CML can help people to understand more about it and maybe contribute to the Leukemia Society. I like reading about it because I have the same disease and it's relatively rare and hard to find anyone to talk to who has it.
Posted at 10:41AM on Nov 2nd 2006 by Karen Schoen