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Time to make some noise about cancer in Iowa

Iowa has the second-highest cancer rates in the U.S., with a sharp rise in breast, prostate, and lung cancer cases, particularly in Northwest Iowa. Concerns about agricultural pollution and the lack of legislative action have prompted local meetings to urge citizens to advocate for clean air and water. Voter influence is essential for change. Continue reading Time to make some noise about cancer in Iowa

Adventures in surgery prep

A year ago, I found myself facing surgery for a cancerous nodule on my left lung. Here is a fractured recounting of what I remember the procedure was like.

After check-in, I started to wander aimlessly down the hallway towards the emergency room until Nancy and a nurse caught up with me and escorted me to a bank of elevators. The door to one slid open and I spread my arms across the doorway and stuck my head in peering left and right into the cavernous space.

“Is there room for all of us in here?” I said in my best Boris Karloff voice to the elderly couple waiting inside for my wife and me to join them. They may have been having second thoughts about riding the cage when they saw my wide eyes and shit-eating grin on my face. I turned around and gestured towards my wife and the nurse. “Come on in,” I yelled, “I think there’s room for the entire team!” Continue reading Adventures in surgery prep