Coming out of the fog and disorientation of general anesthesia from the operation, three words sliced into my comprehension with absolute clarity:
Medullary Thyroid Cancer
"The Dogs of Cancer" is a book of hope.
While it is about a specific and fairly rare form of Thyroid Cancer, Medullary Thyroid Cancer, in a larger sense it is about all cancers. There is a chapter on:
1. General, holistic understanding of cancer, including nutrition and environment but especially about the recently established causal role that stress plays in developing cancers.
2. Another chapter is on "Cancer Humor", that out-of-the-box brand of humor that only people facing their own mortality can enjoy.
3. An important chapter about caregivers elegantly brings to light the psychological and emotional pressures on a cancer person's primary support.
4. A favorite chapter, and it's more of a rant, is about the things people say, usually with the best of intentions, to someone with cancer.
"Medullary Thyroid Cancer". These three words changed author William Kenly’s life as he began a very intimate journey of personal discovery. Some friends would move closer, some would distance themselves. Some people would open up and share their deepest secrets because he now belonged to their “meddie” club, and other people would move against him, driven by the bully inside as they saw a vulnerable target. Kenly suffered at the hands of incompetent doctors having unnecessary procedures and treatments. He was steered away from nutrition and other alternative medical treatments, but he also met doctors whose advice about this rare disease was insightful to the point of ethereal vision.
The Dogs of Cancer is a courageously open and uplifting personal exploration of cancer and its effects on not only the cancer patient but the lives of those around him. The book explores dealing with cancer, and MTC in particular, but it also delves into the rewards of spiritual growth. The reader will discover glimpses of an inner god-consciousness, a spirit that leaps from the part of us that routinely handles the everyday triumphs and tragedies, and connects the day-to-day routine with universal energy and understanding. This beautifully written memoir assures the reader that although “cancer sucks,” it can lead to a better understanding of self and the universe that surrounds us.
William Kenly is also the author of the highly acclaimed The Dogs of Divorce (2010) and The Dogs of Luck (2012). The Dogs of Business is due out in 2014. Kenly was diagnosed with MTC in 2008 and writes frequently on the subject. He and his wife live north of Boston in their empty-nest home abutting a state park. They enjoy biking, kayaking, skiing, traveling, and watching their four 20-something-year-old children start their own adult lives.
Contact the author at williamkenlybooks@gmail.com. 
