Latest brain tumor celebrity: Cardinals analyst and talk-show host Chris Duncan

According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Cardinals analyst and talk-show host Chris Duncan was back on the air, albeit briefly, Monday, and said "a tumor in my head'' is what had kept him off the WXOS airwaves for three weeks. "I had it removed and I'm doing well now,'' he said in a brief appearance on 101.1 FM's afternoon drive-time show, a program for which he normally is a co-host.

Duncan went to Duke University's medical facility to have the operation performed.

"I feel really lucky I got a chance to go down there and have the surgery and get the tumor removed,'' he said. "I feel great right now. Hopefully I can come back as soon as possible and rejoin you guys.''

He works with Randy Karraker and D'Marco Farr, and the program is the highest-rated local sports-talk show in the St. Louis market. And Duncan, a former outfielder who won a World Series ring with the Cardinals in 2006, is on the comeback path.

Here’s a link to the article: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/ceeb3f89-5b47-590d-8519-3afc1f654fd4.html

My favorite book blending pro baseball and a brain tumor is, of course, Liz Holzemer’s  memoir entitled Curveball: When Life Throws You a Brain Tumor - http://www.amazon.com/Curveball-When-Throws-Brain-Tumor/dp/0978945670

Book Review: Curveball: When Life Throws You a Brain Tumor

I just finished reading Curveball: When Life Throws You a Brain Tumor by Liz Holzemer. And while it’s been out for a while, it was as fresh and relevant to me as any memoir I’ve read this year.

There’s good reason for that: Ms. Holzemer is a professional writer and journalist, and the book reads like it was written by a professional. 

I liked how she deftly leverages the fact that her husband was a professional baseball player. Why is that important? First, she knits his postings to various clubs into the narrative, which provides important context for several developments.  And, secondly, she weaves a series of baseball quotes/sayings/insights into her story that are remarkably relevant to their journey. For me, the quotes alone were worth the price of the book.

I don’t know of anybody who’s had meningioma who hasn’t had significant hurdles along the way.  She explains those bumps with all the appropriate emotions that one experiences when your expectations of good health, or straight-forward recovery, goes awry.

I also have a soft spot for anybody who “gives back” to the community.  Through the non-profit she created, Meningioma Mommas, Ms. Holzemer has done more than her fair share.

Perhaps most importantly, she has a nifty section in the back of her book that she calls “Liz’s Brain Tumor Manuals Defined.” Basically it’s a brain tumor survival guide that she wishes she had when she first learned that she had a brain tumor. If you know somebody that’s just learned that they have a meningioma brain tumor, start them at this section.

You may need to order her book through Amazon as I couldn’t find it in my local library, so here’s a link to it: http://www.amazon.com/Curveball-When-Throws-Brain-Tumor/dp/0978945670/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334179675&sr=8-1

And here’s a link to Meningioma Mommas: http://meningiomamommas.com/

My favorite brain tumor, cancer and traumatic brain injury memoirs

There is something about having a brain tumor that leads to interesting, provocative and brutally honest tales of brain tumors and injuries.

Here’s my top six. I’ve read every book on this list with the exception of Curveball, which I just got in the mail yesterday.  I like them all and, somewhat surprisingly, like them for different reasons.

Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto brings unexpected glam and style to the genre. I found the graphic novel format powerful and emotionally involving. After finishing this book I wanted to have a beer with her husband who, for all his restaurant fame and fortune, seems like a really likeable guy. All the same time, it’s a bit “New Yorky”.

Curveball: When Life Throws You a Brain Tumor, by Liz Holzemer, is something I’m looking forward to reading. Her blog - http://wwwascrewloose.blogspot.com/ - is completely different from the usual brain tumor rant. I’m also a fan of her personal commitment to “give back” through her 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization, Meningioma Mommas - http://www.meningiomamommas.com/donations

Gabby’s book, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope by Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly and Jeffrey Zaslow - is at one and the same time horrifying and inspiring. You just gotta love her and her husband.

I also loved Suzy Becker’s book - I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse? - and her unrepentant honesty about her disease, her emotional roller coaster ride, her tenacity and her drawings. (I also have a soft spot in my heart for bikers and those who give back – and Suzy is both) She blends her writing and drawings into a complete story that words alone just couldn’t tell.

My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte-Taylor is, for me, the seminal work in the arena which combines personal journey with incredible scientific insights. I also want to start a fan club for her unbelievable mother.

Ms. Wisenberg’s blog and resulting book seems to have been on the vanguard of cancer blogs and, as you would expect given her literary background, creatively written. If you have a chance to listen to her speak in person, grab it. The time I saw her she brought the little statue/avatar her publisher made for her which, by itself, was worth the price of admission.

What have I missed?  What should I read next?  I’m interested in everybody’s comments, suggestions and recommendations.