Marjorie Walker
- Location
- London, United Kingdom
- Birthday
- December 22
- Bio
- Marjorie was a retired American psychotherapist living in London, UK. With a vocal cord damaged due to the cancer she was suffering from, and increasing depression, she turned to writing a blog. She described it as an attempt to provide a philosophical, political and humorous side to cancer. It can be found at www.cancercurmudgeon.com
As she said, in a May blog: "My first blogs were terse, smart arse; I tried to be funny; but as my depression lifted, my blogs got more complex, and I depended on writing them and on the responses I got, as much as anything, to give me energy in my life. "
MY RECENT POSTS
- The Funeral: remembering
Marjorie
July 19, 2011 10:40AM - 8th July 2011
July 09, 2011 01:14PM - Thanataphobia – fear of
death
July 01, 2011 03:12AM - Funeral Arrangements: Part Two
June 16, 2011 05:17AM - Denial
June 10, 2011 05:07PM
MY RECENT COMMENTS
- “I've been thinking about
thinking about death recently.
A few
months ago I
wrote…”
August 19, 2010 04:45AM - “If the suicide note
turns out right and I think it
will. It
is terrorism and
far…”
February 19, 2010 01:29AM - “Agreed and between you
and me and the doorpost, she
reminds
me of
someone who
may…”
February 13, 2010 05:37AM - “Thank you so much for
this article. Taking 30 or
more Haitian
chilldren into
DR…”
February 06, 2010 02:26AM - “The arrogance and
hutzpah of the Right wing
Americans
is
frightening.
The good
new…”
February 02, 2010 03:36PM
Marjorie Walker's Links
The Funeral: remembering Marjorie
8th July 2011
Marjorie Walker
22nd December 1938 - 8th July 2011
Marjorie passed away peacefully on Friday 8th July. Read full post »
I have moments, particularly in the middle of the night, when I’m frightened of dying. Every week I get a little weaker, and I’m frightened, it would be churlish not to fear death. I’ve studied how people react to and suppress such phobias, but in the end it doesn&… Read full post »
Funeral Arrangements: Part Two
Denial
Denial – why the hell not? I might have taken the wrong tack on this whole illness, and I should be prepared to make a complete turnaround of my way of thinking.
My oncologist came in the other day and threw me an idea I wasn’t expecting: she said that if… Read full post »
falling down and down
As a Jewish girl my first word was supposed to be taxi … and dutifully I hailed a big black taxi the other day, as I’ve been doing for 40 years since I came to London, only to find out to my horror
… Read full post »Food and friends – perfection
To say that these weeks coming up to the end may be incredibly special may sound deluded, but right this minute what I want to write about is the pleasure I’ve had eating with some friends. No big deal I know, but for me I’m not doing all the
… Read full post »My last wish – no palliative care?
When I first heard the phrase palliative care I cringed. It was offered to me by a kindly doctor at hospital, who meant no harm, but I thought it was a death sentence, and in a way I’m still convinced of it. I went next day to my oncologist,
Can your blog save your life?
When I began blogging – back in November 2009 – I was heading towards a depression. I’d been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and there was very little that could be done about it. They had already given me six months oral chemotherapy – easy, no side effects –
… Read full post »Thinking out of the box – funeral planning, part one
This was the strangest meeting I have ever attended. Let’s begin at the beginning.
The funeral director met my dear friend Rev Ian Brown, who is organizing my non-denominational death rituals, at the entryphone to my building. The funeral director asked Ian why in the world there was a meeting… Read full post »
Minimalism offers little comfort
I was staying at the Delano, the newest, poshest hotel
in Miami Beach. It was the year of minimalism. My room
was ‘flat white’; nothing in it. I was on my
own, sleeping naked between the luxurious white
sheets. Three o’clock in the morning cam… Read full post »
Ignominious fiasco, or how I ruined my golf pro’s career
Inspired by an open call for ‘mortifying disclosures’ on opensalon.com, I am taking a break from writing about cancer. Time to think back.
The Golfers and the Showgirl
It was the last day of the Pro-Am Golf Tournament in Las Vegas. We even had our pix taken with… Read full post »
The best Easter vacation possible
It’s Easter vacation and my grandchildren burst into the apartment and bring a gust of hugs and love and high spirits which turns the whole atmosphere around. Ten years ago my oldest granddaughter was born here. Her parents walked to the hospital, and I could come and hold her immediately: I… Read full post »
Cancer sucks and bandages don’t cover it
… Read full post »My day starts out at 3 o’clock in the morning when I listen to the world service – although that puts me back to sleep – and I wake up again at 7. In London we have a news program that begins at 6 and goes on until 9 (‘Today’)
Luxuriating in a break from cancer: family, friends and food
My son came to visit from New York in the middle of a busy schedule and totally rejuvenated me. I started to feel that I could do something besides sleep and be tired, and that I needed to get out more. He’s just written and directed an independent film called ‘Price
… Read full post »My war with these welts had been going on a long time, but I never paid attention to them at the beginning. It was just a few mosquito bites that Dr Spittle seemed concerned about. She looked at them every week, and then finally said it was time for
… Read full post »I just received an offer of life insurance where they don’t check your health record. The small print was that you had to stay alive for a year. Oh well; a piece of mail for the bin.
Cancer has given me a long time to die – perhaps too long.
… Read full post »Core Decisions
Synchronicity sometimes plays an important part in your life. This week I was faced with what I thought was the most important decision I’ve had to make since I began my cancer treatment. I’m on stage 4 terminal cancer, with, most likely, only a few months ahead of me.
… Read full post »Dead as a nit, but home
My needs were actually very small – morphine, and the edge of my queen-sized bed. I had a carer telling me I’m going to fall out, but for some reason, even though I sleep alone, I sleep all scrunched up in the corner of it. And after years of psychoanalysis,
… Read full post »My Hospital Nightmare
Suddenly one night I got very sick. I was alone in the apartment, and just managed to call a neighbor, who came over immediately. I put in an emergency call to my oncologist Dr Spittle, but there was no room at the hospital till the next day. So I had a… Read full post »
My Second Annual Birthday Party - Age 72 Part 2
As my lovely goddaughter Georgia said, when she
was helping me send out invitations to my birthday party, it was
unlikely that all 60 plus would come. But very nearly all
did, battling through the snow, to my delight; all ages, from 3
months (Stella’s babe) throu… Read full post »
My Second Annual Birthday Party – Age 72 Part 1
Thursday, February 10, 2011 in| Add a comment...
[This was begun December 2010, but not completed or posted because I’ve been too sick, my right hand paralysed, and in much pain. But having spent 3 weeks out of the last month in hospital, I’m now home and I’m
… Read full post »CANCER REMISSION CELEBRATION: The White Truffle Festival Alba,Italy
I began to feel feisty after the fifth month of cancer remission and – googling the internet – found that the Truffle festival in Alba, Italy was on in October. I knew I would feel better by then, it was a month away, five months after my… Read full post »
My surreal morphine world
Mumbling morphine Marge fights malignant cancer cell Mafia
I woke at eight, in a panic. Seven is the hour when I must arm myself with morphine to fight the mega cell mafia attacking my right shoulder, threatening acute pain.
After a few weeks on morphine my thoughts go back to the… Read full post »
Remission Perdition : Cancer Returns
My worst fear – cancer returns
I would like to say that I’ve spent the last few months in a stress-free remission, climbing mountains for charity, but anyone who has been through this will know I am lying. Just because you are in a remission doesn't mean you are not
… Read full post »
Kerry Lauerman
Joan Walsh
Salon.com