Dear Subscribers,

Mercury is retrograde. It is a good time for catching up, making repairs, and perhaps also some review? Let me however start with an announcement. I signed the papers for Niko's adoption last Friday evening. I am grateful to all those who encouraged this step, but I think it's safe to say that both of us are very happy with this commitment. He is absolutely delightful and wonderful to have as a companion.

Now, to more somber subjects.

A few days ago, my Sri Lankan colleague recommended the film "Wit" starring the always outstanding Emma Thompson as an ovarian cancer patient undergoing an aggressive and experimental form of chemotherapy. Emma Thompson delivers a riveting performance as a professor of English literature facing Death through the eyes of a strict scholar specializing in the metaphysical poems of John Donne. Were it not for her superb acting and diction, the film would deteriorate into a rant on the risks science is willing to take with the lives of patients. Okay, "Wit" is neither a documentary nor a film about options and efforts to find a cure. It is about a professor who examines the approach to knowing through the tools of her own trade. The music is gorgeous.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243664/

Now let's compare this film with that of Kris Carr, a cancer "thriver" who also studied literature and the performing arts. There is something interesting here, at least for me. A woman who once played the ghost of Marilyn Monroe is now a famous and inspiring author and film director. She is a vegan and more importantly, living proof that a stage IV diagnosis is not always the comma discussed by the fictional mentor in "Wit". You see, I will not spoil the plot so . . .

I found the entire film online, but I forgot exactly where, try this:

http://www.movie2k.to/Wit-watch-movie-395585.html

Here is Kris Carr:

http://www.tagtele.com/videos/voir/53181/1/

Don't worry, the film is in English and there are several parts.

Though I cannot think of a single circumstance in which I would submit to chemotherapy, I did formulate Goji Tonic for those who are faced with the prospect of the damaging side effects.

http://subscriptions.bioethika.com/pdf/goji_tonic.pdf

It is available as an elixir as well as herbal blend in organic alcohol.

http://www.caherbs.com/

Knowing it takes people time to organize their movie schedules, I will refrain from comments for a few days. However, our options definitely need to be discussed.

Many blessings,

Ingrid

Copyright by Ingrid Naiman 2013

"Affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it."

John Donne

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