Tag Archives: cancer

July Update

Posted on July 4, 2018 by susanbriscoe

It is already July, and the lilies are blooming! I had hoped to enjoy some chemo-free months this summer, but it seems that is not to be. My disease is progressing quickly again, so I will be starting the second … Continue reading →

Posted in Updates | Tagged cancer, chemotherapy, death and dying, flowers, garden, gratitude, summer, terminal illness | 19 Comments

June Update

Posted on June 22, 2018 by susanbriscoe

I feel bad that I haven’t posted anything but updates lately (I have several posts waiting for revision when we get a rainy day), but I very much enjoyed the wonderful spring instead of spending time with my laptop. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Updates | Tagged art, cancer, Central Park, chemo, Jenny Saville, medical errors, MoMA, nature, New York City, Swan Lake, terminal illness | 12 Comments

Spring Update

Posted on May 28, 2018 by susanbriscoe

I’m not on my deathbed just yet! Friends are surprised when they see me out and about at a café or art gallery, looking unexpectedly well (despite also looking grotesquely pregnant), so it seems another update is in order. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Updates | Tagged blessings, cancer, chemo, death and dying, flowers, nature, palliative care, photography, terminal illness | 28 Comments

April Update

Posted on April 6, 2018 by susanbriscoe

I’ve realised again that some friends are wondering how I am. My sense of time has never been very good, and it’s even stranger now. So I am amazed that it is already three months, a quarter of a year, … Continue reading →

Posted in Other Stuff | Tagged cancer, chemotherapy, death and dying, mood, steroids, terminal illness | 16 Comments

My Article in the Huffington Post!

Posted on March 9, 2018 by susanbriscoe

I’m pretty thrilled to have this piece in Huffpost Personal published today! Yesterday, International Women’s Day, was the anniversary of my surgery, but the conversation I recount in the first paragraph of this article happened exactly a year ago today. How’s … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living, Other Stuff | Tagged cancer, death and dying, diagnosis, gifts, gratitude, life, love, terminal illness | 17 Comments

On International Women’s Day

Posted on March 8, 2018 by susanbriscoe

Today, International Women’s Day, is the anniversary of my surgery and diagnosis. I met my surgeon only moments before being wheeled into the operating room. (I had met her colleague once, but he was now away.) She was hugely pregnant … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living, Other Stuff | Tagged birth, cancer, death and dying, diagnosis, International Women's Day, life, surgery, terminal illness, women | 20 Comments

Audre Lorde on Dying Full of Fire!

Posted on March 5, 2018 by susanbriscoe

This is extraordinary poet Audre Lorde, on how to really live while dying: I want to live the rest of my life, however long or short, with as much sweetness as I can decently manage, loving all the people I … Continue reading →

Posted in Other Stuff, Uncategorized | Tagged cancer, love, terminal illness, writing | 7 Comments

Roy’s Article in the Huffington Post!

Posted on February 14, 2018 by susanbriscoe

I am so thrilled with this! Roy has a beautiful article up for Valentine’s Day in Huffpost: My Girlfriend Is Dying Of Terminal Cancer, But Here’s Why I Still Feel Lucky! I know I am the lucky one to have … Continue reading →

Posted in Other Stuff, Roy's Blog: The Long Goodbye | Tagged art, cancer, death, dying, love, relationships, terminal illness | 13 Comments

Late December Update

Posted on December 28, 2017 by susanbriscoe

I was admitted to the hospital yesterday (a different hospital due to ongoing communication issues with my gyne-oncology team) to get a jump start on treatment. Giving into my dad’s persistence, I had a consultation with a specialist in my … Continue reading →

Posted in Other Stuff | Tagged cancer, chemotherapy, choices, terminal illness | 25 Comments

On Pain and Perspective

Posted on December 20, 2017 by susanbriscoe

So far today, I have not been overcome by fatigue. Nor have I struggled against pain and discomfort. It’s not quite noon yet, and I’ve been up since eight. So this has been a good morning. I’ve even had enough … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, fatigue, gifts, giving, pain, terminal illness | 36 Comments

Please Give Blood!

Posted on December 14, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Last year I received several blood transfusions and put out a call for friends and family to donate blood, especially as I no longer can. (Also to please sign their organ donor cards! I have a friend waiting for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Other Stuff | Tagged cancer, giving, palliative care, terminal illness | 18 Comments

December Update #2

Posted on December 13, 2017 by susanbriscoe

I got through my last goodbye hug with Nathan at the open door of a taxi in the middle of a busy street in London on Monday morning. It was a hard moment. But I’m glad I didn’t put the … Continue reading →

Posted in Other Stuff, Uncategorized | Tagged cancer, goodbye, palliative care, terminal illness | 16 Comments

A Video Conversation with the Incomparable Lesley Everest

Posted on November 29, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Lesley Everest, a cherished old friend who is a minister, transformation companion, and doula –in addition to being a miraculous cancer survivor, amazing mom, and extraordinary person– has honoured me with this interview, the first on her brand new site, … Continue reading →

Posted in Other Stuff | Tagged cancer, death, dying, gifts, gratitude, grief, hope, loss, writing | 3 Comments

On Leaving a Loved One

Posted on November 11, 2017 by susanbriscoe

The other day while knitting, for diversion I picked one of the first movies that popped up in the first fringe netflix category I could find. It was Our Souls at Night starring the aged Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, death, dying, love, relationships, terminal illness | 13 Comments

On Flowers

Posted on November 10, 2017 by susanbriscoe

The best part about being ill is the flowers. I received so many flowers from well-wishers after my surgery last winter and then for months afterwards, until the spring offered its own bounty outside the window. The flowers truly brightened … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, death, flowers, gratitude, grief | 12 Comments

Ask Me Anything Repost: Oliver’s Answers

Posted on October 25, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Here are Oliver’s answers to the questions a class of college students in a course called Death and Dying had for him about his mom being near death. I was so proud of his courage, generosity, and thoughtfulness in writing … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged advice, cancer, death, dying, family, gratitude, grief, life, loss, pain, terminal illness | 3 Comments

Ask Me Anything #6: Speaking Up

Posted on October 21, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Do you speak up for yourself more? I actually do speak up for myself a little more than I used to. Since I don’t have much time, I’m less tolerant of people wasting that time with superficial nonsense, insincerity, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged asking for help, cancer, death, dying, terminal illness | 3 Comments

Ask Me Anything #5: Regrets

Posted on October 19, 2017 by susanbriscoe

(This “ask me anything” answer is in response to a class of young college students’ questions.) Do you have any regrets? Or, is there anything you would have done differently in your life if you’d known you’d die at this … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged cancer, death, gifts, regrets, terminal illness | 2 Comments

Ask Me Anything #3: Assisted Dying

Posted on October 17, 2017 by susanbriscoe

(This “ask me anything” answer is in response to a class of young college students’ questions.) Would you consider assisted dying? Yes, I would. It is not my plan, however. I hope to die naturally, with pain control and other … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged assisted dying, cancer, death, terminal illness | 2 Comments

Ask Me Anything #2: Preparing

Posted on October 16, 2017 by susanbriscoe

(This “ask me anything” answer is in response to a class of young college students’ questions.) How are you preparing yourself? At first I had to “put my affairs in order,” which means writing or updating a will (which should … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged cancer, death, gratitude, terminal illness | 4 Comments

Ask Me Anything #1! Initial Reactions

Posted on October 15, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Kelly McKinney, a teacher at John Abbott College in Montreal, recently asked me if I would participate in her Humanities course called Views on Death and Dying. We went with an “ask me anything” format, so the students sent me … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged cancer, gratitude, grief, terminal illness | 2 Comments

October Update

Posted on October 13, 2017 by susanbriscoe

I haven’t written here in a while, mostly because we had a long bout of fantastically sunny, summery weather, making it impossible to sit in front of my laptop, and then I had a wonderful week in the Baltic visiting … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cancer, gifts, gratitude, grief, terminal illness, writing | 14 Comments

Roy’s Blog: The eye of the storm

Posted on September 27, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Roy wrote this post that perfectly expresses the strange in-between state we are in with this cancer thing. I was going to write about this time of relative wellness, but he has done it for me with just the right … Continue reading →

Posted in Roy's Blog: The Long Goodbye | Tagged cancer, death, dying, gifts, gratitude, terminal illness, time | 2 Comments

Roy’s Blog: What to say and not to say

Posted on September 12, 2017 by susanbriscoe

My boyfriend has written a super helpful (and funny!) post about how to respond to someone sharing their bad news about a loved one’s diagnosis on his blog, And sometimes it goes the other way. This is a companion piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Roy's Blog: The Long Goodbye | Tagged advice, cancer, death, diagnosis, dying, terminal illness | Leave a comment

On Hoping for Miracles

Posted on September 10, 2017 by susanbriscoe

My palliative nurse keeps telling me that sometimes chemo patients’ hair grows in completely differently—for instance, curly instead of straight. I don’t know how she might have guessed that I have always coveted curls. Maybe from a glance at my … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged bald, cancer, chemotherapy, dying, miracles, palliative care | 25 Comments

Guest Post by Oliver

Posted on September 8, 2017 by susanbriscoe

My son Oliver and I recently accepted an invitation to answer some “ask me anything” questions from a class of college students in a course called Death and Dying. Here are Oliver’s answers to the questions they had for him … Continue reading →

Posted in Ask Me Anything! | Tagged advice, cancer, death, dying, family, gratitude, grief, life, loss, pain, terminal illness | 10 Comments

Book Recommendation

Posted on September 8, 2017 by susanbriscoe

The Bright Hour is a radiant book. Nina Riggs brings her fine sensibility and craft as a poet to her heart-wrenching yet funny memoir about facing death as a young wife and the mother of two little boys. Structuring her book … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged cancer, death, dying, family, grief, life, Nina Riggs, poetry, terminal illness, writing | 7 Comments

On Giving Gifts

Posted on August 23, 2017 by susanbriscoe

I have written here before about receiving gifts, and of the sweetness of gratitude. I do believe that gratitude is one of the cornerstones of happiness. But lately I’ve been thinking even more of giving gifts, of what I want … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, death, dying, gifts, giving, gratitude, grief, loss, self-doubt, terminal illness, writing | 21 Comments

On Pain and Palliative Care

Posted on July 18, 2017 by susanbriscoe

This morning I was reading The Art of Death by Edwidge Danticat. In it she recounts how her own mother refused all pain medication as she was dying of ovarian cancer because she didn’t want to be “gaga” at the … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, death, dying, pain, palliative care, terminal illness | 21 Comments

On Motherhood

Posted on July 7, 2017 by susanbriscoe

I’ve been a mother half my life. Nearly a quarter century, and most of my adulthood. In all that time, I have been trying to figure out how to mother in a way that feels right. Or at least with … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, change, choices, creativity, death, dying, family, gifts, life, loss, terminal illness, time | 14 Comments

Roy’s blog: Telling the Kids

Posted on June 30, 2017 by susanbriscoe

My boyfriend Roy Cross, who is a super filmmaker and writer, has started a companion blog to this one. He wanted to enter into conversation with some of my posts and share his experiences and perspective in this death project. … Continue reading →

Posted in Roy's Blog: The Long Goodbye | Tagged cancer, death, family, relationship | Leave a comment

On Sadness

Posted on June 28, 2017 by susanbriscoe

My friend Miriam asked me to write about sadness, so I’ll try. I’ve mentioned being sad a couple of times, but not much, considering the circumstances. I guess it hadn’t seemed worth remarking on, since it’s so obvious and ubiquitous. … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, death, family, grief, loss, relationship, sadness | 3 Comments

On a new normal

Posted on June 19, 2017 by susanbriscoe

This is a strange space to inhabit. I’m not feeling that sick at the moment, and in my dreams I am still healthy. So I wake most mornings feeling perfectly fine. The emotional intensity of the first weeks after my … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, change, chemotherapy, choices, death, dying, gifts, grief, life, loss, sadness, time, transition | 4 Comments

On my disease

Posted on June 18, 2017 by susanbriscoe

I hadn’t wanted to discuss details of my disease and current health status here, since I prefer to focus as little of my attention as possible on the medical part of this ordeal. My body demands enough attention and care … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, chemotherapy, death, diagnosis, leiomyosarcoma, loss, surgery | 9 Comments

On what to say to someone who has terminal cancer or any other terrible illness

Posted on June 2, 2017 by susanbriscoe

We are all shocked and upset when we hear the bad news of another person’s diagnosis. We want to express a whole bunch of difficult emotions, but there truly aren’t adequate words. Most of us are worried we will say … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged advice, alternative treatment, cancer, chemotherapy, death, terminal illness | 25 Comments

On Paths

Posted on May 26, 2017 by susanbriscoe

Something about paths is so poignant to me. Naturally occurring paths, those that happen just because others have taken that way before: they are invitations. A dirt path worn across a vacant lot or cutting a corner, through the woods … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, death, dying, grief, loss, paths, terminal illness | 4 Comments

On Creativity

Posted on May 22, 2017 by susanbriscoe

I have always loved art, both looking at it and making it. Since becoming ill (actually since the US election, which might very well be what made me sick), my need for visual art has intensified. If I had more … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged art, cancer, creativity, death, dying, gifts, grief, loss | 2 Comments

On Control

Posted on May 15, 2017 by susanbriscoe

It seems every other obituary these days starts with “lost her battle with cancer” or some similar phrasing. So much of our culture’s response to cancer is framed in terms of battle. The message is that if you are one … Continue reading →

Posted in On Dying and Living | Tagged cancer, control, death, grief, loss | 2 Comments

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