I survived childhood cancer
My illness was, by far, harder on my young parents than it was on me. But even those closest to me will never fully understand how I felt – and still feel
Goodbye, lupus. You don’t own me any more
I had spent the last 25 years fighting chronic illness and it was a challenge to start thinking like a healthy person
Blessings from schizophrenia? Believe me, they exist
I started life worrying I would inherit the condition. Now I’m grateful for the good things that have come of it
I outran my anorexic demon
Before, I ran to punish my body for being gluttonous and fat. Now running, along with reading and writing, nourish me
I don’t tell people when I go for mammograms
If I do, they ask me why I’m worrying about breast cancer at my age. I don’t want to have to explain my family history and risk factors
As a brain surgeon, I know patients’ futures before they do
I plot their medical procedures before even meeting them. Looking at their scans, I can also see the chances of their survival
My love affair with nicotine
When I picked up the habit as a teenager, I thought I could quit any time. It turns out I didn’t have the self-control I had envisioned for myself
A blood donation gave my mother a few more weeks of life
Within weeks my mother went from active and healthy to suffering from leukemia. It robbed her of her ability to do much of what she wanted. Then a miracle happened
After a back injury, my kayaking days are numbered
I fell in love with the kayak the first time I tried one. I learned preparedness, leadership and perseverance. Now I’m learning to slow down on the water
I never thought I could ride my bike to work
Like other drivers, I used to be aggravated by cyclists on the road. Gradually, though, I joined their ranks
