As you know, Tom Piccirilli is battling brain cancer. So far, chemo and radiation are going well. The pills he will have to take for the rest of his life cost $14,000 a month (no, that is not a typo). Luckily, he has been accepted into a program that will help pay for those. But even so, he and his wife Michelle can still use your help. You can donate money to Tom via PayPal to PicSelf1@aol.com. You can also purchase one of his digital books published by Crossroads Press.
Last month, when I visited Tom after his surgery, he told me he’d “written a little something” about what he was going through before and after the operation. That little something was called Meeting the Black.
UPDATE: Meeting the Black was hosted here, but now Crossroads Press have released it in digital. So that Tom will get those future sales, I have removed the essay. You can download it here.
Powerful stuff. My heart continues to go out to Tom and Michelle. Thanks for sharing this.
Tom:
I’m sending nothing but waves of good, gentle healing.
All Best,
Bill Grabowski
Tom Piccirilli is a strong, passionate and honest man. He sounds rational, brave and human.
My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
Thank you for writing this.
I can’t thank you enough for sharing, Tom…You hang in there—obviously, you are loved and the world is a better place because of you…
Thank you for writing this. It was utterly terrifying.
I love you, Tom. Thank you for this, and for everything. Keep fighting the good fight.
You know our thoughts are with you man. We’re here for whatever we can do….
Pingback: Tom Piccirilli update–Meeting the Black « Apex Publications
Thanks to Brian for running this piece…thanks and love to Tom for having the courage (I know you do) to write it and keeping us “involved”. And thanks to Michelle for keeping us updated.
Positive thoughts to Tom and his cells…
Paul Legerski & Shannon
Pingback: Tom Piccirilli and a Pack of Thieves | Ron Earl Phillips | Writer
Tom, your writing has always inspired me, and this really goes above and beyong. Thank you, and stay strong.
I’d say you still got it, Tom. Hang in there. The world is waiting for your next story.
I haven’t posted here at Brian’s page for a while due to some crappy stuff I did last year but need to do so now.
My thoughts and prayers have been with Tom since I first heard about this. It’s awesome to see someone kicking cancer’s ass.
Thanks for posting and sharing this, Brian.
I wish Tom nothing but the best!
Tom, for a guy who’s missing 10% of his brain, you have written a powerful peace that’s going to stay with me all day. And it sounds like you’ve got the beginning of that book – ‘The big story, the important one, the only one that matters.’ Get well soon.
PS. I loved ‘Shadow Season.’
Brilliant piece. Hang in there Tom. Much love from my family to yours.
“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve so many nice comments. These people write better than me. These people love better than me.”
Bullshit.
No one writes better than Tom. He may have a few equals, yes, but no superiors. And right now, no one deserves love, prayers, and good wishes more.
Keep fighting, Tom. You’ve got lots of stories left to tell.
–Joshua
Tom, you’re amazing.
Remember, whimpering because you’re scared and you feel like shit doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re human. So go for it if you feel like it.
*hug* I hope all goes well.
Tom:
I am a fellow survivor traveling a similar path. There is a whole online BT community out there should you wish to connect with others. The website is http://www.braintrust.org. Hope you find that helpful. Love and strength to you and yours.
I love you Tom. Thank you for this piece.
xxxxoooo
Tom – Best wishes on your road to recovery. Thank you for sharing this. Very powerful. Stay strong.
It’s as if Lars has left a hole and we can look inside Tom’s head. Frightening, inspiring, and very courageous. Hang in there, Tom, sending best thoughts and good wishes.
(Thank you for posting this, Brian.)
Pingback: Tom Piccirilli Update & Lies Writers Tell Themselves | Jared Sandman
That struck me to the core.
Hang in there, Tom. You’ve got a lot of people thinking about you and sending positive energy your way – that’s gotta help in some way!
Absolutely amazing, Tom. Keep up the good fight.
-Neal
**Hugs**
Hugs from the Italiano clan, Tom. Hang in there.
Marcy
Tom, You’re doing what you were born to do. Keep at it until the bitter end. You’re an inspiration to creative writers everywhere.
Powerful stuff. Glad to see Tom is still writing. Still staying strong in the face of adversity. We’re rooting for you to kick this thing’s ass.
And yeah, thanks a lot for posting this, Brian.
What a powerful piece. I expect nothing less from Tom. The man writes like no one else. All my love and thoughts and prayers continue to go out to Tom and Michelle, two amazing people. Thank you Brian for posting this and thank you Tom for writing from your heart which is what you always do. Fight the fight and we will all do what we can to help.
Tim
Tom, Brian,
Thanks for sharing this. I cannot say I liked it: While very well-written and beautiful, I don’t like that this has happened. It is truly awful. Sunni (my wife), William F. Nolan, and I all send our warmest wishes, deepest hopes for your complete recovery, and positive wishes for a long life. Take care, and get better. It’s all any of us can do.
Best to Michelle, also.
–Jason
One of the most honest and moving things I have ever read. It takes a lot of courage to speak that honestly about such private and frankly terrifyting thoughts. You are facing your own mortality with pen in hand and that is amazing, inspiring, and very powerful. Sending healing thoughts.
Thank you for posting this Brian.
Tom –keep up the good fight.
Love to you and Michelle.
All of that and you still write motherfuckers under the table.
Nothing but admiration.
Get well soon.
Shocking news! I wish you all the strength you need to battle the tumor. Don’t let it get you down.
Hey, man. Keep on rockin’, Tom. This was a tough piece to read. Really got to me. But you know what? You’re still here. Your thoughts, your imagination, Y.O.U., and I’m not alone in being grateful for that fact.
Sending you sunshine, love, smiles, and laughter. Lots of laughter. Because that’s the best thing I can think of to stick in Cancer’s eye. Stick its nose in it.
Here’s to that black fading away into something else.
I’m speechless. Bless you Tom. You keep fighting!
and thank you Brian.
Read the post and was almost in tears. Keep fighting the good fight, Tom! We’re behind you 110%!
Brilliantly written. Very hard to read without tears in my eyes. My wife has also been diagnosed with cancer, although in the neck, not in the brain. She has responded well to treatment and we hope she will be fine. Fear is a part of life now, though. I’m reminded of a phrase a friend of mine used to use all the time. “On our knees and snarling.” Best wishes.
<3.
that was some of the best writing I’ve ever had the privilege to read. you are one tough mother…..hang in there, fratello mio!
making me cry at work, thanks.
hang in there, buddy. and thanks for sharing all of this with us, for putting the words down so we might learn and evolve and even love a little more. my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sharing your pain makes us all more human and a part of you. I send you the best of life, the clearest days, the longest love-filled hours. All your friends and fans love and admire and respect you. We’re pulling for you.
Pingback: Tom Piccirilli | Jack Ketchum
I was touched to the core by your writing of this difficult time. You gave us all a standard for facing the unknown, for standing up to fate. Hugs and blessings to you and your family
THIS IS SUCH AN INTERSTING AND INSIGHTFUL PIECE BUT WHAT WOULD YOU EXPECT FROM TOMMY. THIS IS YOUR COUSIN LINDA, TOM AND NO THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES. EVERYTHING, EVERY MOMENT AND ACTION AND REACTION BRINGS YOU TO WHERE YOU HAVE TO BE. THROUGH THE DARKNESS AND THE PAIN EMERGES THE LIFE AND PERSON YOU ARE AND WERE MEANT TO BE. I SAW BILLY AND GINNY JUST LAST MONTH AND IT REMINDED ME WHEN WE ALL WERE YOUNGER. I HOPE FOR YOU A SPEEDY RECOVERY AND I KNOW THAT BRAIN OF YOUR’S WILL KEEP WRITING WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE ON THE EDGE OF DARKNESS. YOU ARE BEING WATCHED WHETHER IT’S BY YOUR MOM OR DAD OR ALL OF THE RELATIVES THAT HAVE PASSED AND YOU WILL PULL THROUGH. REMEMBER HEALING IS A STATE OF MIND AND DON’T FORGET THAT, SO KEEP HEALING YOURSELF!!! I WISH FOR YOUR WIFE THE STRENGTH SHE NEEDS AS WELL. MY LOVE ALWAYS, LINDA
I have no words now, Tom.
But, I love you, sir.
Faithfully and With Deepest Gratitude,
Fran Friel
You got so many people rooting for you, Tom, it’s gotta count for something with whoever is upstairs, the Man, the Sister, whatever it is. They better listen, damn it
Hang in there, and sending good thoughts your way.
Just re-read this and will probably read it over many more times. It makes me feel a bit closer to him. We are old college buddies and we’ve held onto a friendship for a good many years, even when life has us living on opposite sides of the country. We touch base, we drop an email when the other hasn’t done so in a while. I tell him how the kids are doing, he tells me about his pond, we share our angst over money woes. I have always admired Tom, not just his writing but the kind of guy he is. We were at each other’s weddings. He dedicated THE DEAD PAST to me (and Ed Gorman), a true honor. He always had a quick hug and some time for lunch whenever we hooked up at some convention. He makes you feel like you matter. And he wonders how he deserves all the nice comments and the support? Because HE matters.
I love the guy and hope he knows it.
This piece was terrifying, emotionally raw and real, and full of love and wisdom. I was really moved. My best to Tom, his family, and loved ones.
Pingback: Writer Tom Piccirilli Post-Op | Mike Cane’s xBlog
Praying hard for you, Tom. Now and always.
I’m a fan and this post brought me to tears. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Stay strong. You have so many people rooting for you.
Much love to you, Tom. So much love to you and your wife.
You must have been diagnosed with GBM. My husband has it too and is also a writer with diabetes. We are almost 15 months out from diagnosis and Bob is doing great and still up to no good. He just had an MRI up at NIH this week and it was terrific. I hope the same happens for you.
Anyone out there with GBM, some of us fighters, survivors, and caregivers have a support group on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/groups/gbm4cure/ . There are some long-term survivors on there with us (like, 13 years!). We have a group for caregivers, one for those undergoing care, and one for the bereaved. There is also a website associated with this group that the members have started. It is under construction but there are a few helpful articles up there so far…Oops, actually it looks like it’s down today. I’ll let you know when it goes back up.
Please come over for some support, we’d love to have you.
My husband’s tumor grew in the speech and language area of the brain…left temporal lobe…so he isn’t nauseated or anything, but does have some mild aphasia left over from radiation treatments. Radiation can cause a pile of problems, but they do not have to irradiate a part of the brain you use for speech or anything like that, so hopefully you will breeze through that better than Bob did. We are also keeping a blog on our website about our experience with this disease.
I hope all goes well for you and we are blowing some of Bob’s luck on ya. 15 months out he is still walking, talking, cooking, driving, and doing laundry. He is also finishing his fourth novel…slowly.
Hang in there.
P.S., You’re a lot younger than Bob, so that bodes well.
P.P.S., we had to do a panic search on the net earlier this fall when it appeared that Bob’s chemo might not be covered. Anyone wanting to know a possible source of cheap(er) Temodar can contact us. Also any GBM patient approaching 65 who needs to navigate the Medicare maze, we know a great resource.
I’m gonna stop hogging the comments section now.
Beautiful life.
Beautiful writing.
Like your writing — always true.
I wish you well, Tom.
Endure, please.
Pingback: other people’s words: 1 « in the pines
Pingback: Tom Piccirilli update–Meeting the Black | Apex Book Company