I Was Healthy Until the Day I Wasn't: The Faces of Cancer

by Jim Parise

I Was Healthy Until The Day I Wasn't chronologues the journey of the author through his cancer treatments, from the initial diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma through multiple chemo regimens and relapses, a stem cell transplant and finally remission. Written at first as blog entries over a period of 4 months, it also focuses on the people - the caretakers, the physicians and health care workers and mostly the patients - whose lives and experiences became inexorably entwined with his own. The stories of other patients' circumstances motivated the author to turn the blog entries into a full-length book. So inspiring are their stories, each shedding light on the disease itself, the bravery and courage, the strength and the stamina to continue fighting, sometimes against seemingly insurmountable odds. There are as many books written about cancer and its treatment as there are types of cancer. No two experiences are the same. Each person has to choose his own path. And how he or she proceeds is a very personal choice. Even not choosing is a choice in and of itself. Cancer patients are an elite group, a band of brothers and sisters who share their experiences, who bolster each other in times of need and who lean on each other for support despite those differences. This book highlights their stories and makes clear that while they endure the indignities of this disease, they are not invisible. They exist. They need to be heard.

210 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2022

Reviews

[Margaret Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended by a friend, The author is a mentor of my friend and battled an adjacent disease to my own, necessitating a bone marrow transplant. Essentially a collection of his caringbridge essays, the book resonates deeply. His sense of humor, his triumphs, his joys and yes his fears, mirrored my own. It is real talk and would be helpful for anyone with cancer, especially blood cancers: lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma. The one disadvantage is his transplant was in 2007. Much has changed, some has improved. Nonetheless, the isolation, the 4AM wake up and the T+100 are all very real,. Well worth the read.

[Scott Bordelon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I donate platelets at the Red Cross, which isn’t always super comfortable, so I try to remind myself that the recipients are enduring something much more uncomfortable. Admittedly, I don’t really know firsthand what they’re going through, so I thought this book might shed some light, and it’s been effective at fulfilling that purpose.

I Was Healthy Until the Day I Wasn’t is Jim Parise’s collection of daily blog entries, documenting his personal experience with fighting non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma from his initial pre-diagnosis 4am visit to the emergency room; the devastating effects of drug treatments and chemo; total body irradiation and stem cell implants; post-surgical effects; his 2.5 month stay at a cancer recovery center; to his first 6-month CT scan results. Blog entries are short 1-3 page snippets covering his initial feelings of fear, anxiety, loneliness and indecision about telling his family, as well as insights into the daily treatments, their detrimental side effects and range of emotions from depression to elation.

Parise doesn’t entirely focus on himself though. He shares his camaraderie with residents also in recovery. Although Parise’s treatment and recovery were a relatively straightforward success, not everyone has it so well, and it’s not always cheery. We hear very moving stories about their successes & setbacks, radiation burns, struggles, inspiration, support, laughter, relapses, appreciations, and losses.

It's all very real, told in first person from a real cancer patient with realtime daily updates during his entire 2 1⁄2 month experience. However, it felt like it wasn’t as fully transparent as I would have liked. A lot of the details and anecdotes are abstracted through a veil of levity. I imagine if you’re writing a daily blog while in months of isolation for cancer treatments and recovery, your readership includes close friends and family who don’t need to know all the candid details of the treatment. It is however very candid about the connections forged with other patients, the devastating feelings when someone has a setback, the longing to get back home, and the fear of absence from his family’s future, particularly walking his daughter down the aisle.

After reading this book, I was all ready to register as a stem cell donor but quickly discovered they don’t want my shockingly dusty old stem cells. If you’re under the age of 41, I strongly encourage you to investigate stem cell donation at bethematch.org.

Many thanks to Jim Parise for sharing his daily experiences through his treatments and struggles. After reading this, you start to feel like part of his family. I recommend this book to any platelet or stem cell donors looking for a motivation boost or a better understanding of what your recipients are going through. Likewise, if you’re starting down the path of a fight with cancer and wondering what you’re in for, this book will definitely shed some light on what to expect.

[Kurt Marquart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jim Parise's story of survival is an unexpectedly hopeful journey through Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma survival. When reading books like this, one often expects to be brought to tears for the author's struggles. Instead, the author selflessly points to the patients he shared time with and how they affected him and brought him strength. While it was clear he was going through his own tribulations his concerns were always for those around him, healthy or unhealthy. His sense of humor comes through even when it's not intentional. If I ever had to go through anything similar I could only hope I'd have the wherewithal to not only document the process with a practical expectation to come out the other side, but also a sense of gratitude for everything learned along the way. It's altogether hopeful and sad, but never despairing. I would recommend this book to anyone in any position in a similar situation; those who've been recently diagnosed, those who's loved ones are going through the same adversity, and everyone who thinks they will never go though it. It's been a long time since I didn't need a bookmark. Thank you for this eye opening and heartwarming read.