A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Oncologist: Cancer Brought the Drama, I Brought the Humor

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Oncologist is a humorous look at cancer from my own experience battling one near-fatal bout of sarcoidosis followed by four separate bouts of three different cancers over the course of the past forty years. Since the mid-1980s I have endured many hospitalizations, multiple surgeries, quite a few weird medical procedures, chemotherapy, five courses of radiation treatment, and ongoing immunotherapy. My treatment has taken place at numerous medical institutions located in Iowa, Illinois, Maine, and Florida. In many ways I am the Rick Steves of cancer treatments.Regardless of where I was treated, I have been told by many doctors that I am an “interesting case.” Trust me, you do NOT want to be told by your doctor that you are an “interesting case.” Interesting for them means lots of tests and educated guesses as to what they should do to you next, and they can be so creative. You are much better off being “humdrum” rather than “interesting.”But through it all, I have tried to view everything through a lens of humor and comedy, and this book is the result. There are vivid descriptions of bodily functions that are necessary to honestly describe medical situations. In many ways it is “gross anatomy.” You will also find puns, hyperboles, litotes, jokes, sarcasm, snark, song lyrics and titles, metaphors, and other absurdities. As Mary Poppins once sang, “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down…” I wholeheartedly agree.I hope you find my story and the knowledge I have gained through these experiences both informative and enjoyable. Or as enjoyable as any discussion of cancer can ever be. I gave it my best shot. Read more