When beating cancer feels unfair
Bend, Ore. – James met Scott in the park yesterday when Scott’s daughter wandered too far into the Deschutes River and got stuck in the mud. James reached out his arm and pulled her back to safety, and they all got to talking.
Today the two sat down together and Scott, who wishes to give only his first name, shared several bits of his past: surviving a divorce, being excommunicated from the Catholic church, traveling the country in an old bus.
What stood out, though, was Scott’s story of battling cancer – and winning. He had mixed feelings when he was told he was in remission. A combination of terror, guilt, and trepidation. We’ll let Scott tell his story himself.
Posted by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore on Friday, September 29th, 2006 | Email This PostThis entry was posted on Friday, September 29th, 2006 at 12:01 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
8 Responses to “When beating cancer feels unfair”
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September 29th, 2006 at 7:31 am
This is my favorite post so far. Its the hardest type of story to get in your limited time in places, but its the most rewarding. Thanks Scott for sharing a part of your life.
September 29th, 2006 at 9:20 am
Thanks Scott for your moving story.
September 29th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Scott Rocks!
September 30th, 2006 at 11:18 am
Very powerful. I like that you seem to have not edited his audio that much. His mistakes, his grappling to vocalize this very sacred story, are quite compelling. Especially the part about chemotheraphy feeling like all of your nerve endings have been burned by the tip of a match.
The part about the children is very moving, especially when considered along with the fact that he met James through the process of having his own child “saved” from the muddy river. The analogy here is obvious, and yet another example of how life is frequently stranger, and more fragile and beautiful, than fiction.
September 30th, 2006 at 11:24 am
I saw an ad for your blog on a xanga banner. I clicked it, and being a native Oregonian, and journalism major, was intrigued by your trip. It’s an idea that my cousin and I have thrown around for awhile, but we were planning on taking advantage of the amtrak 30 day rail pass and going across the US that way.
Thanks for sharing Scott’s story. It’s very moving.
October 2nd, 2006 at 10:58 am
This a very interesting perspective on an all-too-common situtation. I’ve never heard someone’s struggle with cancer put quite this way. A very moving, human story.
October 29th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
it is beautiful how learning about and meeting other people can help us realize more about ourselves and help us to appreciate what we have more, i hope you are feeling happy today
as for the many millions perhaps billions of us now suffering, it is only temporary,
“we live , we die, and death not ends it\” jim morrison
March 13th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Scott,I know the world seems unfair,and yes it is unfair.I had a nephew that died when he was just 17,he had a bad heart and could not recieve a new one.That was 20 years ago,My wife and I were married for seven years at the time,I had lost my dad to a heart problem he was 58 at the time in 1984.I lost my Mother to lung cancer 3 years ago.What I have found in my own travels in this universe is this what does not kill you makes you stronger.I can say that safely because I believe it.Here is why right after I got out of the Air Force I developed fluid on the heart,I was given a 20/80 chance of serviving this.The 20 was for me.I had two other gentilmen one on each side of me that had the same problem both of them lost their battle.I have servived several susicide attemps,I am a recovering alcholic,I have been sober since 17 Dec 1990.I guess what I’m trying to say in my rambling way,is this God Blessed you for some reason,as he has me.I don’t know why and when I finally go home to him I will know why.