1 year Cancerversary Update: How I Actually Almost Died
Officially declaring the end of my dying era
ANNOUCEMENTS:
Today at 2pm EST I’m doing a Substack LIVE with Sara DeWitt the head of PBS Kids to talk more about the Trump Administration cutting public television funding, screen time for kids and maybe get some hot goss about what’s up on Sesame Street.
Call your Senators and tell them not to support any cuts to Medicaid or SNAP.
Today is the one year anniversary of when I had surgery for cancer that I thought would make me feel totally better, but was actually a step towards me getting a lot worse. Many of you have been with me through this journey, from the search for a diagnosis, through the surgery, and into the long, messy aftermath. So I want to mark today by telling you the full story: what actually happened to my body, what I wish I’d known, and what I wish I could go back and do differently.
This isn’t a clean narrative about triumph over adversity. It’s a story about unintended consequences. About how hard it is to advocate for yourself inside a medical system that treats you like a puzzle to solve instead of a person to care for. It’s also a story about learning to live in a body that doesn’t bounce back, and figuring out what kind of life is still possible when you stop waiting for things to go back to normal.
→ As this story is super personal, I’m putting it behind the paywall. To celebrate the end of my dying era, I’m dropping subscriptions to $3 a month when you get a $36 annual membership. If you want to know all the details, subscribe now!