My take on this is similar to Arthur Ashe's, perhaps articulated a bit differently. I have had some tough blows in the last few years, cancer bring just one of them. My feeling is this: Each of us has only one life. It is fine to be angry and sad about the bad breaks. I know I am. But ultimately, if you love life — as I do — you have to embrace it as it is, lumps, mess, tough times, complications and all.

Sent by Deborah | 1:28 PM ET | 09-08-2006

Last night, I watched the Spike Lee film When the Levees Broke and thought about this very question. Why not me? How would I react? I've had several friends with cancer in the past couple of years (all of whom are not only surviving but thriving) and I have said to myself, "There but for the grace of God, go I." None of us are immune from cancer. Right now, to my knowledge, I am cancer free. But I'm not exempt and we each have to live with the knowledge that it may be our turn next.

Leroy, I admire your courage in asking the hard questions.

Sent by Elsie | 1:40 PM ET | 09-08-2006

Leroy,

My heartfelt thanks to you for your thoughts on these matters that are the subject of our every second thought.

Sent by Carolyn Torrente | 5:34 PM ET | 09-08-2006

If I may add one more quote taken from the show aired on PBS called, Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason

Bill Moyers interview with Buddist nun Pema Chodron, August 4, 2006:

It isn't the things that happen to us in our lives that cause us to suffer, it's how we relate to the things that happen to us that causes us to suffer.

I cut and pasted that quote from the PBS website and taped to my wall. It reminds me to relate to the bad things in life, from a positive perspective.

Sent by Linda Nelson | 5:36 PM ET | 09-08-2006

In September of 2005 my 16-year-old son was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Christmas Day 2005 was his last treatment and remission was obtained. In August of 2006 he relapsed and will require a BMT. My life is turned upside down and the thought of losing my son is a pain I am not sure that I can live with. I don't know how any of you deal with this on a day to day basis, but hats off to you all for being so strong.

Sent by Cyndi Dotson | 5:40 PM ET | 09-08-2006

I was listening to NPR and some new scientific study said that if you are a little bit overweight that could cause "premature death." What's that? How long are supposed to live? Who says? Arthur Ashe was a very wise man. Keep on feeling your life, the good and the bad and thanks again, I read your comments everyday.

Sent by Dianna | 2:16 PM ET | 09-11-2006

Hi Leroy,

You have changed my life in the past months. Your outlook and humor have reminded me to practice what I preach.

When my father passed away 11 years ago (I was 13) of colon cancer, my motto was "Life is 10 percent what happens to you, and 90 percent how you react to it."

When my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a year later, I tried to live my life in this way again, but now, after a 10-year battle that is, as you have said, an intense rollercoaster, I have found it hard to not believe my life is only cancer.

My mother now has brain lesions, along with every other metastasis possible under the sun, and while I understand this is the biggest test of all our lives, I have been reminded that this is not the center of my existence. Love is.

Sent by Cristina | 2:31 PM ET | 09-11-2006

Dear Leroy and everyone else,

Thanks so much for all your words & comments & all that strengthen those of us with cancer.

I'm suddenly in the hospital (as of Thurs.) under observation for a melanoma-swollen lymph node lying on my trachea. It's inoperable, but the lung and oncology folks are deciding if radiation and/or a stent could help. The only hassle is that my voice is out of wack because of all this and though I'd love to talk on the phone with my husband (at home with his own health problems), family and friends, I can't manage more than a couple minutes. My faith is in God in whose care I and all of you remain. Cancer has intruded on my life, but it isn't the end of life!

God bless you all!

Sent by Eunice | 3:13 PM ET | 09-11-2006

As a two time cancer survivor, I have been reading this blog from the beginning and have not felt I had anything to contribute as there is so much wisdom coming from all of you who express yourselves so beautifully. My thoughts are not nearly so well formed. Leroy, the intimacy of your experience and how you put words to it is a gift to every one of us. Many years ago I read the words of a cancer survivor with a poor prognosis who was writing about the meaning of hope—I cant remember each word, but I adapted it to use in my own work with cancer survivors. Essentially, it went something like this: "With communication comes understanding with understanding fear diminishes in the absence of fear hope emerges, and in the presence of hope, anything is possible." Thank you so much for all are doing through this blog to communicate, understand, diminish fear, and offer hope to all with such heartfelt intensity.

Sent by Ellen Stovall | 3:39 PM ET | 09-11-2006

I couldn't agree more. I've been saying for the past year that in some weird way, cancer has been a gift — the details are in my blog but as much as the disease and the treatment suck, the awareness and appreciation of friends and life in general makes it almost worthwhile. Normally, I read your blog and it makes me cry, today it made me smile.

Sent by Katie Paine | 3:43 PM ET | 09-11-2006

Yes, we could have missed the pain but then we'd have had to miss the dance.

Sent by John Clark | 3:50 PM ET | 09-11-2006

I don't like this "why not me." This is not a "fair question" at all. Why not you? Because you are good. Because your life is worthy, for yourself and others. Because when you had -? and have -? the good things, the things that make you a particularly lucky person in some respects, you were not given a price tag and the choice, which is really the hallmark of "deservedness." Cancer, and other catastrophes, are not a given, a fixed amount of burden that we all need to share, like washing the dishes.

Such cruel "smartness" — "why NOT you" — may only be understood as part of our need to make sense of our lives, our inability to accept that there may not be a meaning or that there is one but is beyond the understanding of our own Excellency. And that we have to create a meaning that suits us, reflects us, and is doable by us ?- if we want one.

You don't deserve to suffer, and I'm sorry that you do. You don't deserve to die prematurely and I hope you won't. Your existence is meaningful to myself and many others.

Sent by Gal Levin | 11:58 AM ET | 09-14-2006

Hi Leroy -

Your blog and broadcasts are awesome. I have a son who just started the remission journey. His disease is called histiocytosis and it is not quite a cancer we are told but is treated like cancer with chemotherapy. It produces tumors in various body systems in children. In our son it had attacked the bone system.

Arthur Ashe's quote so expressed one of many feelings I have had on this journey. Why not our family? Why not our son? Why yours instead of ours seemed beyond cruel to wish for.

Our treatment team said that we have just started the remission journey. Life can be lonely and scary especially when the sick family member is a child and the world is afraid that you are living their worst fear ever.

That said - there have been many gifts and your current writings have shared those we feel with the world. We move slower, appreciate the world around us, and work very hard to enjoy the moments we formerly rushed through in our lives.

Know you are in our prayers too.

Sent by Melissa Thompson | 2:23 PM ET | 09-15-2006