On Surviving a Brain Cancer Death Sentence

There should be more persons writing testimonies of brain cancer such as Mr. Schneiderman. And – heavy users of cell phones! – those who engage in long conversations each day – especially younger persons – should pay heed to the possibility that they too may one day be diagnosed with a brain tumor. Reading this article, I think of Adon, my companion who died of mesothelioma, cancer of the pleura from exposure to asbestos. He, too died the day of his diagnosis. He survived 10 months with a diminished quality of life.  He loved sitting by the lake in Divonne, watching the water - rare moments where he experienced peace. 

On Surviving a Brain Cancer Death Sentence
by Davis Schneiderman, Huffington Post, 20 March 2013

Valerie Harper [the star of the Mary Tyler Moore Show announced this month that she has incurable brain cancer] received a death sentence. Just like my father.

And while I hope that she lives as long as she can, comfortably and with dignity, "surviving" these types of cancer does not always mean what we would like it to. We may treasure the image of the celebrity medical survivor in (pre-doping scandal) Lance Armstrong, Sharon Osbourne, Melissa Etheridge, or any number of other public figures who make triumphant or even quiet returns to their old public lives.

Yet we don't often talk about what it means to survive without thriving.
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