Over the past couple months or so, I've seen several interviews with actor Ryan O'Neill. In each, the interviewer eventually got around to asking, with varying degrees of tact, about Farrah Fawcett's on-going battle with intestinal cancer.
"I guess you can really relate to what Farrah's going through, huh? Because of your own battle with cancer?"
Now, it's always a little difficult to tell when an actor's reactions are genuine and whether he's just... yanno; but O'Neill's response to this question is invariably an expression of mild irritation mixed with pity.
"Compared with what she's going through," he says seriously, "I didn't even have cancer. I took a pill, and that was it."
I think I know how he feels. I see little kids on TV with a couple pathetic wisps of hair left over after their radiation therapy. I see the the young woman with the large, dark eyes, gauntly beautiful with head wrapped in a scarf. I see the news story about the wife and mother who had both breasts and her uterus removed because tests revealed that she was genetically predisposed toward both types of cancer.
I'm a cancer survivor, technically. The fellow cyclist and bladder cancer survivor who gave me my first yellow bracelet solemnly discouraged me from downplaying any cancer. I understand what he was trying to tell me, but like Ryan O'Neill, I look around at the battles that others are fighting and can't help thinking that my thyroid surgery and one little radioactive iodine pill were hardly like having cancer at all.
And I thank God.
3 comments:
I suddenly feel the need to get back to the doctor to have my thyroid re-checked. 8-}
I couldn't imagine either.
I didn't know that about you, Foo. I am thankful you are still with us to keep brightening the lives of the people you touch! (and I'm not talking about your next post, either)
Gwynne: It's probably not a bad idea, if you've had a history of problems, but lots of people have thyroid issues that will never have anything to do with cancer. I only found mine because I have bad skin and was messing with something on my neck and found that it was lumpier on one side than the other. At least one of my doctors is still mildly amazed that I diagnosed myself as having cancer several months before the doctors did.
Which is probably why I wasn't more stunned when my then-endocrinologist called me on my cell phone to break the news while I was driving home. Ass.
Susie: I guess it depends on what those issues are. As my buddy Ryan and I have said, some cancer just doesn't slow you down much.
Emma: Thanks. Glad to be here. And nice play on the "next post" thing.
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