As an oncologist, I learn from my patients what matters most in life | Ranjana Srivastava
Every cancer patient grapples with what is truly important. To bear witness to their attitude can put one’s own life in perspective
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
The writer in me marvels at how Mary Oliver, the Pulitzer prize winning poet, captures so accurately the question at the heart of so many of my conversations with my patients. Young and old, curable and incurable, in remission and on the edge of death; every cancer is as different as its management. But, of course, what lies just underneath the convoluted medical discussions is a quest for meaning.
Ranjana Srivastava is an Australian oncologist, award-winning author and Fulbright scholar. Her latest book is called A Better Death
Continue reading...Topics
-
A sea anemone: I have pronounced their name incorrectly most of my life | Helen Sullivan
It is probably wrong to touch, even gently, these creatures. But even now I find it difficult to resist. In her book Theatres of Glass, Rebecca Stott writes about the Victorian craze for home ...The Guardian - 1d -
I’m a 59-year-old recluse with PTSD, a cancer diagnosis and no living relatives. What should I do with my $900,000 life savings?
“I have a large bank as trustee, and it will take a large chunk to distribute my estate.”MarketWatch - 2d -
What I Learned From a Reclusive Taliban Commander
Mullah Osman Jawhari led one of the deadliest assaults on American forces in Afghanistan, a battle that came to symbolize the war itself.The New York Times - 5d -
I can afford my life. Why can’t I be less anxious about money?
Being self-employed, I am familiar with my bank account’s ebbs and flows. My worries about money aren’t entirely rooted in reality. Being self-employed, I am familiar with my bank account’s ebbs ...The Guardian - Dec. 10 -
Once I would have squirmed if a barista knew my order. But I’m learning to love being a regular | Emma Beddington
It’s nice to be known – even as someone who’s utterly predictable, cake-dependent and often unwashed. We went to the same cafe almost every day during our month-long trip to Venice. It was the same ...The Guardian - Dec. 8 -
'I lost a year of my life when stalker moved to UK'
Stephanie Hill, a former Miss England, says her stalker sent hundreds of messages.BBC News - Dec. 8 -
Longevity doctor and yogi: I 'build my life around' these 5 daily habits—anyone can benefit from them
Dr. Monisha Bhanote, a longevity physician, has studied cellular health for decades. These are the practices she abides by for a long, healthy life.CNBC - Dec. 7 -
For his 80th birthday, my dad asked for the gift of time. What we gave him will last generations | Ranjana Srivastava
My father was more thrilled with his present than the times we gave him lovely photos, swanky dinners and a fancy laptop. I waited until I was 15 years old to have my first major disagreement with ...The Guardian - Dec. 3 -
What prosecutors should learn from the Trump election
Prosecutors need to sit up, take notice, and ponder what the election results mean about what they do, how they do it, and how the public perceives it.The Hill - Dec. 3
More from The Guardian
-
Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow says Uzbek suspect arrested over killing of general
The Guardian - 20m -
Kenyan single mothers ‘trapped’ in Saudi Arabia as exit visas denied to children born outside marriage
The Guardian - 7h -
Middle East crisis live: hopes for Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal rise as officials express cautious optimism
The Guardian - 11m -
Andrew and Tristan Tate lose £2m court case over unpaid tax
The Guardian - 2h -
Injured Italian caver lifted to safety after four-day rescue operation
The Guardian - 1h