A Guy’s Guide to Throat Cancer: Do’s and Don’ts for Recovery
By Edmund A. Rossman III
Over the course of 2017, Ed Rossman lost his mom and his sister, and received a diagnosis of 4B oropharyngeal cancer (throat cancer).
Running on empty as he prepared for chemo and radiation while organizing a memorial service for his sister, it was Ed’s boss who suggested he start a CaringBridge site to keep family and friends updated as he went through his health journey. That way he wouldn’t have to share hard news over-and-over, and he could also be more reflective about the challenges and gifts of living with cancer.
Ed’s CaringBridge Journal entries evolved into A Guy’s Guide to Throat Cancer: Do’s and Don’ts for Recovery, published with the intention of considering cancer from the perspective of a man cave vs. a hospital room.
Whether comparing targeted chemo to playing darts and describing radiation in terms of tanks and missiles to using sports metaphors for nutrition, Ed said he wanted to present cancer in “everyman language.”
He also has a deep faith, and with his medical treatment spanning the Lenten season, the book also includes daily Mass readings. The biblical messages of faith, perseverance and gratitude are tonic to anyone, Ed said, not just guys, in going through this life-changing disease.