The Last Lecture

I finally read Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture yesterday. I didn't want to read it while I was working on the major part of my own book, but now that I'm within spitting distance of finishing mine I figured I should read his, partly to be able to mention it in my query letter (why we don't compete), and partly, of course, from interest. He and Patrick Swayze (also with a book out, but it's out of the library this week) were the closest the pancreatic cancer community had to poster kids. Both Pausch and Swayze died, and after a flurry of interest, pancreatic cancer retreated from public consciousness. Unfortunately, what we need is either a continuing stream of poster kids or at least one person to last long enough to keep the disease in the public eye. I'm working on the latter.

(Big sigh of relief.) We don't compete. Pausch barely mentions the nuts and bolts of his disease and treatment, except for the obligatory how-I-found-out-and-reacted chapter. I have one of those, too, as does anyone who's had the house fall in on them. His book generally, however, is much more "what I've learned in my life and want to pass on" than "how I'm dealing with and living with this impossible situation." Yes, it is funny and inspirational, and I cried as I read his anguish that he would not live to see his children grow up -- but mostly I felt relief that it was not my book.

By the way, thanks to everyone who answered and who sent emails with suggestions for dealing with nausea. Smoothies, snacks at frequent intervals instead of real meals, and that brown rice pudding all sound like good ideas, and I'm trying them all!