Cancer Just Is
by Morgan Bolt
Morgan was a member of my writers group. I’m so very
grateful to have books from him because when I read his words, I can hear his
voice.
Morgan’s wry wit shines through the passages of this
book as he chronicles his struggles with cancer treatment and endeavors to get
as much out of life as he can.
“My interest in cancer before I was diagnosed with the
disease was pretty close to zero, and if anything that interest has decreased
in the years since then.”
First, Morgan gives us an intimate view of what his
cancer treatment was like, from the experimental treatments he went through to
the effects of more common treatments. Radiation is a treatment we’re all aware
of but he demonstrates how the side effects can sneak up on someone and last
far longer than one would expect.
He also offers his perspective on faith in God - how
it was, and was not, affected by his cancer. His faith was a significant
comfort during his experience with cancer but he also talks about why he did
not look for some kind of miraculous healing. He discusses the notion that some
people subscribe to that says illness is a judgement and if we just have enough
faith, we’ll be healed. Instead he contends that “Cancer Just Is” like a force
of nature. Cells divide and sometimes cells divide too much and in unexpected
ways. His contention that “prayer is weird” is a delightful consideration of
all that prayer is and isn’t and what it means to him.
He shares his gratitude for all the Ronald McDonald
House of New York City made available to him and eased his treatments, his
search for easy access to bathrooms, and his gratitude for just being alive and
getting to experience as much of life as he could in the time he had left.
He shows us how his experience changes the lens through
which he views the world and the culture around him. His experience dealing
with opioid pain medications after surgeries showed him how difficult addiction
would be to overcome.
“I switched too quickly from one painkiller to another
after my stent removal and laparoscopic chest surgery. On paper, there is no
reason I would have experienced withdrawal symptoms, but I did. I don’t know
how anyone can expect a person who is actually addicted to any opioid,
especially higher doses than the small amount of hydromorphone I was on, to
ever kick the habit.”
Through this book, Morgan has his say on “insidious
problems and implicit prejudices.”
Though it’s a short book, it is a rare look at life
from a different perspective than many people have or will ever experience.
There is a lot of wisdom to be found here. I highly recommend it.
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