This week, CBS News, the Washington Post, NY Times and USA Today shed a glaring light on people living with cancer. And Newsweek put the Livestrong wristband on its cover.
Pick up the April 9, 2007 issue of Newsweek to read the story How I live with Cancer.
Jonathan took the call on his cell phone at the Starbucks in New York's Penn Station...It was from a doctor I barely knew telling me that a CT scan-ordered after three weeks of worsening stomach pain-showed a large mass in my abdomen, with what she said was "considerable lymph node involvement." I rubbed my eyes and sensed the truth instantly: cancer, and not one that had been detected early. I was 46 years old and had not spent a night in the hospital since I was born. Nonsmoker. No junk food beyond the occasional barbecue potato chips. Jogged a couple of times a week. I was not remotely ready for this.
Later on in the article Johnathan tells his readers:
I have cancer, it's going to be bad, but I'll live until I'm 90. Probably not, but I turn 50 this year and, full of hope, recall that great line from "The Shawshank Redemption": "You can get busy living, or get busy dying." For me, it's no contest.
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Cancer has a way of trying to steal your hopes and dreams so the desire to remain independent and normalize your life as much as possible is a way of fighting back.
My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer at the end of November 2006, one week later her mother was diagnosed with the same disease.
Shortly before my wifes mastectomy in January 2007 business partner decided to end their partnership. One week before my wifes chemotherapy in March 2007 I was terminated from my management position at a fortune 500 company.
We also found out that based upon the upcoming therapy chances were not good that we would ever have children.
Now due to my wifes poor health, loss of her business and my job loss, we also face a very uncertain future. Unless I'm able to obtain a job very soon we may also lose our belongings and home.
You see cancer paves the way for losses, some of which you never get back. So we will get on with the business of living, continue to build on our hard work and dreams as an affirmation of our hope for a better future.
Tom Goodro
San Antonio, Texas
Posted at 2:23PM on Apr 4th 2007 by Tom Goodro