Author Tells of Life Transformed by Illness
Nashvillian Sigourney Cheek is the author of Patient Siggy: Hope and Healing in Cyberspace, which relates her experiences undergoing treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. As Cheek writes, the illness radically transformed her life, in part through the dialogue she created with a growing community of people who read her regular e-mail updates. Now, with the publication of her book, the author is about to embark on a book tour that will include visits with members of Gilda's club and other cancer groups.
At what point did you realize that your experiences were leading to a book?
I wanted my friends to be on the same page, so I decided to put together an e-mail list of my closest friends. I remember being nervous about doing that, because it seemed so inappropriate to be writing about my own illness.
But that was really the seed: a short, embarrassed paragraph I sent out to 18 of my closest friends. I ended up doing an update every three weeks. By the second message, the list had grown to 45 people, and by the end of the story, it was 160 people. Halfway through treatment, I realized these e-mails were becoming the skeleton of the book, but they're just a tenth of the story.
What have you learned along the way?
It's a cliché that almost everyone who goes through illness will say: It becomes a blessing if you embrace it in a positive way. It deepens you spiritually, and it makes you understand the importance of living in the moment. I had been honing my writing skills, and I really found my voice when I got cancer. My writing became richer, and my life became richer.
Has your own understanding of illness changed?
I was very blasé about other people's illnesses. I did not have the empathy to respond to them at a level that would help them. Now I can really open up, because I am blessed to have written this candid account and pass it on.
Anyone who's in midlife is going to be affected by some sort of illness, either directly or through someone close to them. The most important message of this book is the power of community for healing.
Why is illness such a taboo subject in our society?
We want to appear sophisticated and in control; we want to say, "I'm fine." We don't want to get sentimental and touchy-feely. You don't go to a cocktail party and talk about those things, until you have an illness, and then the depth of the conversation just switches gear.
How has your understanding of spirituality changed?
This has affirmed and very much enriched my spiritual journey. I have a strong spiritual core, I always have. I attend Christ Church Cathedral regularly, and everyone was so supportive. Before my illness, I wasn't aware we were sharing this spiritual journey together. Being put on the prayer list changed who I was and totally energized my spiritual life.
Get it signed...
Sigourney Cheek will discuss and sign her new book several times over the next few weeks:
- 6-7:30 p.m. today at Stanford Fine Art, 6608A Highway 100 (to RSVP, e-mail eveningwithanauthor@yahoo.com)
- 3 p.m. Saturday at Landmark Booksellers 114 E. Main St., Franklin (791-6400)
- 7 p.m. March 25 at Davis-Kidd Booksellers, The Mall at Green Hills (385-2645)
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802280308
–JONATHAN MARX
Staff Writer for The Tennessean • 2/28/08