Richard M. Cohen’s Lifting a Life Above Illness: Blindsided - A Reluctant Memoir spoke to readers who are facing chronic health problems. The writer explained his difficulties with living with multiple sclerosis and cancer among other trials. His health problems led to numerous side effects to which he had to make adjustments.
Coping with these diseases were essential in Cohen’s life. His inability to walk normally, problems with his speech, and multiple cancer operations of his colon were daunting. Despite these problems Cohen had to work, raise a family, and cope with these afflictions. But these difficulties affected his job as a senior producer at CBS, PBS, CNN, and later at Fox.
Cohen’s work often required that he travels. Initially, his health wasn’t as bad. So, he made a number of international trips including Israel, Palestine, Beirut, Poland, and El Salvador. These demands were rather stressful. Cohen also covered some major national political events of presidential candidates as he worked on Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather news programs at CBS.
But Cohen was rather fortunate. He was able to marry his sweetheart Meredith Vieira who was a Today Show host, and they had three beautiful children. After he had problems with his eyesight – since becoming legally blind, it was his wife who had to shoulder most of the responsibilities in their home. Vieira wasn’t only working at 60 Minutes, but she was the caregiver in their new home, and did most of the driving. By this time, Cohen was using a walking stick, and taking the subway to get around.
Under these pressures the author explained how he often lost it. The emotional toll was great on him and his family. His children were young and often treated him condescendingly because of his health problems. Vieira was under pressure at her job at CBS. Eventually, she would resign but was able to find work on the View. Yet, despite all the problems at their work and home, Cohen wrote that he was able to remain optimistic about life. He stressed he was living fully with the hand he had to play. ( )

Blindsided was a good book, sharing many feelings of one besieged by two very serious illnesses. I felt the feelings he expressed were very realistic and believable. I have always been suspect of people who were beset with serious health problems and are so unendingly cheerful and optimistic. Unreal. This book was unusual in that the wife of the protagonist is a famous TV personality. Their attempt to normalize their life made a pretty good story. I did feel that many of Richard's thoughts were quite redundant and the book could probably have been about 40% shorter and not be any worse for the shortening. ( )

A very moving memoir of a man who has lived with MS since the age of 25. Cohen is 60 now and still "coping" - a term and a life strategy which gets much ink here. In a discussion of this book with a friend who had already read it, he characterized it as a kind of literate good-news-bad-news-joke. God told Cohen, "The bad news is I've given you MS; the good news is I'm also giving you Meredith Vieira." Point taken, I suppose. But this is a story of a very difficult life lived with courage coupled with a very important and quirky sense of humor. When Cohen discovered later in life that he also had colon cancer - not once, but twice - it was nearly too much to bear. But bear it he does, and he tells you the whole messy business too, leaving very little to the imagination. He admits it was nearly a breaking point in his marriage, and also admits he was not a very nice person to be around. But his wife and kids stuck with him. This is, to put it in a nutshell, just one hell of a good book. I admire Cohen tremendously for all he has endured. But hey, he did have Meredith, so ... Great read; I recommend it highly. ( )

This was a moving and depressing account of one man's life with Multiple Sclerosis, and how it has challenged him to grow as a person, and the ways the illness has impacted his family. Cohen is eloquent, and tells the tale of his life. He loves life and has been creative and determined in keeping it that way, despite the progressive nature of the illness. It is a heartbreaking story, yet realistic. I would recommend this to anyone who has a family member or loved one coping with a chronic and/or progressive illness. ( )

When will I learn not to read books by journalists, even ones who get MS and then colon cancer? Typical sentence: "Our relationship was exciting, our mutual attraction warming as rapidly as the dunes leading down to the sea in the August sun." ( )