There is no news you can hear about yourself that is more dreadful than being told you have cancer.

Your mind shuts down for a few minutes. No matter what the doctor is saying, the words do not register. It’s like in the movies. The only difference is that, in the movies, the scene passes and there is a happy ending.

Not in real life. The scene has just begun, and the ending could very well be anything but happy.

Such was Rick’s state of mind when he heard for the first time that the reason he could not get any relief from his constipation, no matter what he tried, was that there was a golf ball-sized tumour sitting in his colon.