[NStewart]

Tom Brokaw, "A Lucky Life Interrupted"

by NStewart on Tue May 19, 2015 7:37 pm

I finished this book today and recommend it for reading by anyone with cancer. Although Tom Brokaw's journey is with myeloma, what he has to say about living with cancer is universal for anyone with cancer. He details how it has impacted him and his family since diagnosis, some about his treatment, and his pitfalls along the way. Reading his experiences reminded me of many of the things that I experienced during the first couple of years post diagnosis and how much I needed to learn to be able to work effectively with my doctor.

One of the things that I appreciated about this book was that he interspersed his experiences as a person with cancer with memories of some of the events that he covered as a journalist over the years. I enjoyed reading some of the details of his experiences from his personal point of view on events that I also lived through.

There has been some discussion about the fact that he went fishing right after he learned of his cancer diagnosis and ended up in trouble because of back pain. As with most of us, he didn't understand the seriousness of his diagnosis or of his back pain. How many of us were clueless right after our diagnosis if we hadn't been experiencing problems that led to the diagnosis? He, too, was human and as clueless about myeloma as many of us were.

All in all this was a good read on many levels. It is not a bible about the diagnosis and treatment of myeloma. It is one person's memoir about the first 1 1/2 years of living with the disease.

Nancy in Phila

[Norman's girl]

Re: Tom Brokaw, "A Lucky Life Interrupted"

by Norman's girl on Thu May 21, 2015 10:18 pm

I also just finished reading Tom Brokaw's book. It was especially interesting to me because he and I are the same age, and I also did not have a SCT. He was diagnosed a few months ahead of me. His experiences with myeloma were very similar to what I had been through, with the exception of compression fractures. I was spared that.

I enjoyed his book very much, and he made it even more interesting because of his reference to so many historical news events that we are all so familiar with. I do agree that this is a book that would be of interest to anyone with cancer of any kind, and their caretakers. My husband wants to read it.

Good book.

[Nipon Ginko]

Re: Tom Brokaw, "A Lucky Life Interrupted"

by Nipon Ginko on Fri Jun 12, 2015 6:59 pm

Nancy,

Thanks for the inspiration to get started reading his book. I just got it a couple days ago and have not started reading it yet. I had a back problem flare up this morning so am not moving much making the best of it; now would be a good time to start . N.G.

[NStewart]

Re: Tom Brokaw, "A Lucky Life Interrupted"

by NStewart on Sat Jun 13, 2015 8:43 pm

N.G.

I hope that your back problems resolve quickly. Take the time while you are somewhat im­mo­bi­lized to read Tom Brokaw's book. It is a quick read and will maybe take your mind of the pain that you may be having for a while.

Nancy in Phila