You know the old trope about having a devil sitting on one shoulder trying to lead you astray, while an angel sits on the other shoulder trying to nudge you to the path of righteousness? …

In the wake of cancer, I am prepared to do any and everything to maintain or improve my health, as long as it is recommended/provided by a qualified specialist and has an evidence base to back it up. And that is how I come to be a person who goes…

And find the wisdom you seek — Remember that TV show Northern Exposure? Here’s a scene that stuck with me. Leonard, the Alaska Native healer and shaman, is in town and seeing some of Joel (the town doctor’s) patients. Joel is shocked to discover that patients tell Leonard what’s bothering them and Leonard responds with a story…

And how do I get from here to there? — They tell me that survivorship is the hardest part, and I can kind of see how that would be. When you receive a cancer diagnosis, all of space-time seems to grind to a halt and your attention becomes riveted solely on the project of treating that disease. You are suddenly…

In which an American inappropriately ties an ancient Indian medical system to a British fantasy series. — In an ongoing effort to stay healthy by any means, I’ve been studying up on Eastern systems of thought about health and the operations of the human body. I have to tell you, some of it is pretty hard to wrap my 21st century American mind around. Ayurveda, for example…

This should be self-evident? — Hello, 2023! Since year you-know-what was the worst year of my life, I am so happy to find myself here at the start of a new one. And since we are all turning over new leaves at this time, I will tell you my one and only goal for 2023: …

Ritual to reclaim my life At long last, the winter solstice arrived. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “at the winter solstice the Sun travels the shortest path through the sky, and that day therefore has the least daylight and the longest night.” Thus the solstice marks the beginning of longer days. Like any good Jewish…

Every time a celebrity dies of cancer, my first thought is “oh god, was it colon cancer?” — I know it makes no sense, but I am relieved when it wasn’t (Olivia Newton John) and dismayed when it was (Kirstie Alley). The news reports all said that Kirstie’s cancer was “discovered recently.” Given how quickly she passed, she must have been diagnosed with a raging stage IV disease…

I finally overcame my psychological problem and presented myself for surgery. When I made the appointment to have the alien-pod port taken out of my chest, I was given a choice: I could be sedated or I could be wide awake while the doctor cut open the well-healed incision and yanked the gadget out. What would you have chosen? I decided…