This is just one question out of eight in the actual interview. It was the one that I found the most interesting. Enjoy!
Senator John Kerry was diagnosed with prostate cancer while on the presidential campaign trail in 2002. In a recent interview with Coping With Cancer magazine, he speaks candidly about beating cancer, losing an election and advocating for the American people.
CM: What has been the one most difficult challenge you have faced since having cancer? How did you overcome it?
JK: You know, there are a lot of challenges at my age. You lose friends and family to illness and death. And in my case, I lost a pretty close election. The learning gained from getting knocked on my ass in defeat is not my favorite way to gain insight and knowledge, but it is an event in life that sticks with you, I’ll tell you that much. I was forced to confront my shortcomings, figure out what I did wrong, listen, and in defeat, I also was reminded what really mattered to me. As lousy as it felt to lose, life was a hell of a lot harder after November 2, 2004, for the working father who woke up still without healthcare for his kids, for families in New Orleans abandoned on rooftops while the water rose, or for troops in Iraq who got up every day in the middle of a civil war. I felt a really personal obligation not to lay around licking my wounds but to dust myself off and fight for those people.
Showing posts with label interviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interviews. Show all posts
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Anne Thompson and Dr. Death
Here are snippets from my latest Coping magazine articles. If you want to read the full versions, you'll have to visit my Facebook or ask for a copy. I don't think I can post them here. At some point in time, I may post parts of my older interviews, like Olivia Newton-John or Patrick Dempsey, but those are currently on my Facebook as well.
'Every day is going to have a moment to savor'
Cancer isn’t about dying, it is about living. I know, I’ve been living with cancer for the past year, and you’ve been watching me. These words, penned by NBC News’ chief environmental affairs correspondent Anne Thompson, began a confession of sorts, a divulgence of a secret that Anne had kept from her television audience, and many of her NBC colleagues, for a year. The response from viewers, she confides in an interview with Coping magazine, “blew me away.”
Anne was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2006. She decided early on that work would be her “cancer-free zone.” As a journalist, she wanted to keep her diagnosis private. “My job is to get people to talk about themselves or an issue they’re involved in. And nothing stops a conversation quicker than to say, ‘I have cancer.’ And I didn’t want the focus to be on me,” Anne says. “If my appearance changed dramatically and I didn’t look good, I didn’t want to be on the air because that would detract from my story. I didn’t want to be the story.”
During his professional wrestling career, which spans over two decades, Dr. Death has stepped into the ring against numerous menacing foes, including tough guys like Dick Murdoch, Ric Flair, and Dustin Rhodes. But in 2004, he faced his toughest opponent yet when he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Though he was unable to speak at all for several months following surgery to remove his tumor, Doc now uses his voice to inspire others by sharing his story from the wrestling ring.
Recently, I had the chance to talk with Doc about how he went head to head with cancer and came out on top. He relies on a stoma to communicate, but his voice is clear and strong. It’s the kind of voice you would expect from a man with the nickname “Dr. Death.” Despite his menacing name and his gargantuan stature, Doc admits he is not dauntless. “Cancer was the scariest thing I have ever been through in my life,” he confides.
NBC News Correspondent Anne Thompson
'Every day is going to have a moment to savor'
Cancer isn’t about dying, it is about living. I know, I’ve been living with cancer for the past year, and you’ve been watching me. These words, penned by NBC News’ chief environmental affairs correspondent Anne Thompson, began a confession of sorts, a divulgence of a secret that Anne had kept from her television audience, and many of her NBC colleagues, for a year. The response from viewers, she confides in an interview with Coping magazine, “blew me away.”
Anne was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2006. She decided early on that work would be her “cancer-free zone.” As a journalist, she wanted to keep her diagnosis private. “My job is to get people to talk about themselves or an issue they’re involved in. And nothing stops a conversation quicker than to say, ‘I have cancer.’ And I didn’t want the focus to be on me,” Anne says. “If my appearance changed dramatically and I didn’t look good, I didn’t want to be on the air because that would detract from my story. I didn’t want to be the story.”
Professional Wrestler Dr. Death: In the Ring with Cancer
During his professional wrestling career, which spans over two decades, Dr. Death has stepped into the ring against numerous menacing foes, including tough guys like Dick Murdoch, Ric Flair, and Dustin Rhodes. But in 2004, he faced his toughest opponent yet when he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Though he was unable to speak at all for several months following surgery to remove his tumor, Doc now uses his voice to inspire others by sharing his story from the wrestling ring.
Recently, I had the chance to talk with Doc about how he went head to head with cancer and came out on top. He relies on a stoma to communicate, but his voice is clear and strong. It’s the kind of voice you would expect from a man with the nickname “Dr. Death.” Despite his menacing name and his gargantuan stature, Doc admits he is not dauntless. “Cancer was the scariest thing I have ever been through in my life,” he confides.
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