Not many people are brave enough to go public with intimate details of medical problems, especially cancer, and to start going public when the problem is diagnosed, not just when it’s cured. Ken Holman is one of those rare people who have done so, and in email with him shortly after he came out of hospital he welcomed my doing my small bit to publicise what he went through, in the hopes that it will help others (from Ken: “I know that I would have appreciated reading actual testimonials from patients rather than just corporate medical reports”).
For those who don’t know, Ken has been a stalwart in the SGML/XML community for many years, taking part in various standards committees as well as being a well-regarded teacher and speaker. He’s had a bad run health-wise recently, culminating in a bout with prostate cancer (which now appears to be effectively cured, though some side-effects still remain). The details are at Awareness of Male Cancers – my personal stories; what may be startling is that even test results within the normal range can indicate cancer that needs to be treated. Here’s hoping that few people need to go through what Ken just has, but if you do, I hope you recover well and quickly.
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Lauren,
I talked briefly with Ken at the XML 2006 conference, where he admitted to me that he had cancer and was having to “scale back a bit” what he was doing. I realized then something that I’d already felt but hadn’t fully articulated, even to myself — that quiet, self-contained Ken Holman was truly one of the most dedicated, brave, and noble people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I am glad to hear that he is through the worst of this, and sincerely hope that we all have the pleasure of his wisdom and company for many, many years to come.
I must say that Ken is true heart bravo. Ya its a rare deed when people try to live their lives as usually as they were leading earlier. Its difficult to accept that one is having cancer or any such disease. He is truely a brave man. I m glad to know that has recovered.
Hope to see some great work from him.
The courage and determination of Ken Holman is unparallel. Keep going
Cancer has been hitting my family over and over again, so its always nice to hear how others are coping with the desease.
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