Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Note: This post is part of my occasional series Books That Made a Difference.

source

It's not often that I call a book mind-blowing. But this one fits the bill.

It tells the incredible true story of (you guessed it) Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman who lived in Maryland in the 1950s. She developed cervical cancer and was treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. During a surgery to treat the cancer, a doctor took—without her knowledge (and therefore, of course, without her consent)—some of her cervical cells, both of the cancerous and the non-cancerous varieties.

The cancerous cells turned out to be just what that doctor had been looking for: human cells that would stay "alive" and reproduce...so they could be used in scientific research. (The very nature of cancerous cells is that they reproduce out of control...yet they were still living human cells. Both of these things together made the cells a perfect growth medium.)

I mention her race above because back then, Johns Hopkins performed experiments on Black people, sometimes (clearly) without even their knowledge...which the book discusses.

Anyway, that doctor began to distribute and later even to sell Ms. Lacks' cells; however, for many years, Ms. Lacks' family was completely unaware that this was happening, and they certainly were not receiving any compensation for it.

Ms. Lacks' cells are still in use today and have been involved in a huge number of medical and other scientific breakthroughs. Much of the modern medicine and technology that we rely on today we owe in part to Ms. Lacks' cells.

In the book Rebecca Skloot tells not only the story of what happened to Ms. Lacks and her family but also the story of her investigation, which is also fascinating.

HBO made a movie (by the same name) based on the book, starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne. You can stream it online using HBO Now. If you don't already have HBO, you can stream it for free by signing up for a free 30-day trial first.

So...to sum up my review: This is, as I've said, an incredible true story, well told; I highly recommend it for everyone and think it should be required reading for all medical students as well as all other scientists.

Things That (Can) Help Depression

Photo by it's me neosiam from Pexels

Yesterday Cameron Kasky (one of the organizers of the March For Our Lives) tweeted that he hasn't been as active lately because he's been "struggling with depression and anxiety in a stronger form than [he's] ever seen it." I responded supportively, including saying that I know firsthand how debilitating depression can be. @Jennife42049695 replied and asked if I had any advice for managing depression.

I thought long and hard before replying. Because...I still live with depression. It's not like I've conquered it or anything. But today during my lunch hour, I sat down to write a careful reply.

Also, as it turns out...today is World Mental Health Day. I'd already thought about sharing my reply here; once I learned what today was, I knew I had to.

So...here's (an edited version of) what I told Jennifer, in case it's helpful to anyone listening in:

As you may know, depression generally isn't like: get depressed, do X to fix it, and then everything’s better. It doesn't tend to work like that.

Having said that, there are some things I suggest, because I find them helpful (not necessarily in this order):

1. Figure out who in your life can and will—and who can’t or won’t—be able to handle hearing your pain, will hold space for it, and will give you empathy. Then when you share (if you share), do it only with the former.
    
2.  Find community with others who are living the "same" experience. It can be incredibly validating to hear others say “me too!” When I've felt the need to, I've attended a Depression and Bipolar Alliance support group.
    
3. Refuse to beat yourself up for resting when you’re too exhausted to do anything. If you don’t have the energy, you don’t have the energy—period. That does not mean you’re lazy.
    
4. If you're able to, get medical advice. If you have to start with a general practitioner, be sure to ask for a referral to a specialist. (Most general practitioners aren’t taught much about psychology.) There's zero shame in taking medication for depression. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. If it helps balance the chemistry in your brain and makes you feel better, then—it helps, period.
    
5. Find an integrative medicine doctor (separate from #4), get an integrative health consult, and do as many of the things they suggest as possible.
    
6. Related to #5: Try as many “alternative” things as possible until you figure out what helps you. Even if you're skeptical about them. As long as you believe you'll remain safe, there's generally no harm in trying them. I’m talking about things like yoga, massage, acupuncture, reiki, meditation, etc. I believe all of those have helped me at least a little. And—I’m still trying things.
    
7. If you haven't already, figure out what kind(s) of music make you feel joyful, and listen to it when you're especially down (and even when you're not). This has a measurable health benefit.
    
8. When you feel up to it, get out in nature and enjoy the beauty. This also has a measurable health (specifically mental health!) benefit. 

If you struggle with depression, what do you think of the things on my list? What helps you? Post a comment and let me know.

I Have to Believe It

Yes, that's me. Photo taken May 16, 2016, by Jessi Matthews.

This is going to be a really personal post. I haven't written a super-personal post in a long time; 'course I haven't written a post at all in a long time. But I need to get this out, and I'm sharing it because...well, it's what I do.

I had a reiki session for the first time tonight. At the beginning of the session, my reiki practitioner used a guided meditation to sort of lead me into it. For part of it, she said to picture myself in a very beautiful place and imagine that this place was just for me.

My mind immediately went to the Oregon coast, which so far I have visited twice, exactly a year apart. I know they were exactly a year apart because both times were on my birthday. The first of those times, my dear friend Jessi and I sat on a log on the sand and talked while we enjoyed the beauty. It was mostly overcast and a little chilly, but it was still beautiful.

Back to the guided meditation: This time I pictured myself there alone, just standing on the beach and enjoying what in my vision was now beautiful weather—warm and sunny, with the sun reflecting on the water, turning the view from beautiful to spectacular.

At this point in the reiki session, the guided meditation stopped, but I kept picturing myself there...as if I lived there, and one by one, other elements came into the picture. I know what was happening: I was envisioning my dream life. The other elements were all things I have dreamed about doing, having, being...but that haven't happened yet for a variety of reasons. (Some of them,...much to my grief.)

I'm walking along the beach because I have the energy to do that. My body looks more like I want it to than it does now. I'm throwing a frisbee to my dog. I'm joined by my loving partner. I have indeed found someone to grow old with. He loves me fiercely. And I him.When we go back to the house, we don't have to go far because it's right on the beach. (No one said my dream life would be cheap.) In the great room, there's a grand piano. (Again with the not-cheap.) I'm working toward entering the [Van] Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition. This is a house that I've decorated myself because I have the energy to do that. We host lovely dinner parties because I actually do want to be the hostess sometimes. I am as "domestic" as I feel like being because I have the energy to do things I feel like doing. (Are you sensing a theme yet?) I have a job that I love. I do volunteer work that helps people and that I find meaningful. I have a part-time (at least) singing career because...well, that is my truest passion.

Back to the present for a moment: I think many people in my life think that my biggest passion is English—grammar, writing...because I talk/post about that rather frequently. And I'm not un-passionate about that. But ever since my college days, ironically after I stopped being a music major ("piano performance emphasis"), a love for singing like I'd never known awakened (even though I'd been in various choirs for several years by that point). And singing does bring me a kind of joy that nothing else does. Most of the time though, (when I'm not in one of the handful of choirs I've been in since that time) I don't generally sing. It's odd. But I think it's because emotionally,...I'm not usually in a place to even want to sing. Like, it doesn't even occur to me. In case it sounds weird to you that I wouldn't want to do something that brings me joy...that's called deep depression, my friend.

I'm suddenly realizing, with all of this talk of what my true passion is and of how much I have not yet self-actualized...that I am still, however unintentionally, suppressing my true self. Daaamn. Now if only bringing my true self to the fore were as easy as it had been the first time (moving out of my parents' house and going to college).

Because now the challenge is to believe that I can have that kind of life—or at least that I can make many of those elements a reality.

Which brings me back to my vision. The phrase that popped into my head and just kept recurring to me was: "I have to believe it."

Because right now,...I don't. That's the bare truth of it.

The cultural narrative of "you just have to believe in yourself" and "well, you have to have hope" is strong enough that I almost feel ashamed to admit this. But if you'd had a life filled almost entirely (so far) with heartbreak, how would you feel?

So tonight that's where I'm at. Knowing I need to believe in a better future for myself. And not yet being sure of how to do that—or even that I won't resist any effort in that direction. (My cynicism runs deep, yo.)

Never has the phrase "hoping against hope" meant so much to me.

I just know that if I actively believe it won't happen, then it very likely won't.

I'm also realizing...I have to make it happen. *sigh* And we're right back to...that'll happen someday when I have the energy for it. There's that theme again.

So what I actually have hope in right now are the mind/body practices I've been trying lately—namely, reiki, massage, trauma releasing exercises, yoga. Because getting my body to work better has to be step one. And they are showing promise in that regard.

So...current state: Staying the course.

Why I'm Supporting John Russell for Congress

There's a special election this year in Ohio's 12th Congressional District, thanks to Representative Pat Tiberi's resigning before the end of his term. (It's a special election because it's to elect someone to serve the remainder of that term. The general election for that seat is for the following Congressional term.)

And the primary for each of them...is at the same time...on the same ballot. One of the things that means is: we have to vote for the same person twice on the same primary ballot. Strange but true.

That election is this coming Tuesday, May 8th.

From the night of Indivisible Ohio District 12's candidates' forum back in February, I knew I wanted to support John Russell. And my commitment to that support has only grown since. Here are some of the reasons why. If you live in Ohio's 12th District (Here's how to find what U.S. House District you live in), I hope you'll join me in voting for John Russell. 

1.  As he was growing up in the rural Ohio Valley, he saw people in his family and community pull together to help each other through tough times, which he says gave him the values of community and service, and he believes that such values should be written into our policies. I couldn't agree more.
2. He is committed to running a face-to-face campaign. He wants to talk to as many 12th District voters—both urban and rural—as he can. And he's taken concrete steps to do just that, including participating in candidate forums and debates, holding town halls (he has held one in every county in the district), and attending 'meet the candidate' house parties. He has also committed to holding regular town halls once he's in office.
3. He gets that as a white man, he wouldn't exactly add to the diversity in Congress—and that he doesn't have the lived experiences or perspectives of those who identify differently than he does. But he is committed to surrounding himself with a diverse group of people who do have those lived experiences and perspectives—and listening to them.
4. He is not accepting any corporate donations to his campaign. Here's what he has to say about why: "Over and over and over again, corporations hire armies of lobbyists and get preferential treatment at the expense of ordinary people who can't hire lobbyists.... If we want to challenge the status quo, and take on special interests, we need the independence given by not accepting corporate money to get elected."
5. He has been politically active for years, even before Tiberi's seat became open. John independently started a petition to get Tiberi to hold a town hall with constituents. (Note: Tiberi never did; he resigned before his term was up, and now John's running for that same seat.) John helped organize Indivisible Ohio District 12 (one of the many Indivisible activism groups that formed in response to the 2016 election), and he joined their fight to save the Affordable Care Act.
6. He has a strong grasp on the issues. In the time that I've been volunteering for his campaign, I've observed John talking with voters on multiple occasions. And I don't think I've seen him stumble once when asked about any issue. He's able to immediately speak to it and to articulate where he stands. And it strikes me as being more than just good communication ability or being personable, though he certainly has both of those as well. He really knows where he stands and what he will fight for.
7. Having grown up in and being a farmer in rural Ohio and having also worked with fellow activists in the urban areas of the district, he has broad appeal across both parts of the district. That seems to be a rare quality these days; it's  refreshing to have a candidate who can cross what has become way too much of a divide in our country.
8. Last but certainly not least, he has solidly progressive positions on the issues. Among other things, he'll fight for:
• common sense gun safety laws
• making voting easy/ier for all eligible voters
• universal health care, through a single-payer, Medicare-for-all model
• improved infrastructure
• steady, good-paying jobs
• a $15/hour minimum wage

Here's John talking more about his position on several important issues:

You Guys, She *Gave a Speech*

Let's get one thing straight right now: While she would almost certainly do a better job than 45 (which, let's face it, is probably the lowest bar for presidential success of all time), Oprah Winfrey is not terribly well qualified to be the President of the United States. I'm not insulting her; I'm just stating a fact. She's incredibly accomplished and is qualified for a lot of things; I just don't think that being POTUS is one of them.

Giving an impassioned (and awesome) speech at an awards show does not automatically mean she'd be a great candidate. And overseeing a media empire does not automatically mean she'd be a great president, who is tasked with leading the most powerful nation on Earth.

There is a lot more to candidacy and certainly to presidency than speechmaking and business savvy.

I mean, how many times do we have to learn the hard way that business ≠ government?!? Because...business does not equal government! Would some parts of government do well to apply sound business principles? Surely. But they are not the same things. Determining how to maximize value to shareholders is a far cry from, say, deciding whether to send troops into harm's way.

As my friend Jay Cosnett put it,

 Governing requires experience... at governing! Passing bills, forging consensus, navigating overlapping centers of power and influence, maintaining and building coalitions, dealing with other politicians and governments... This idea that government is somehow "not real work" and that someone from the private sector doesn't need experience in it is bullshit.

And Thomas Chatterton Williams in this great New York Times piece:

I am not immune to Oprah’s charms, but President Winfrey is a terrible idea. It also underscores the extent to which Trumpism — the kowtowing to celebrity and ratings, the repudiation of experience and expertise — has infected our civic life. The ideal post-Trump politician will, at the very least, be a deeply serious figure with a strong record of public service behind her. It would be a devastating, self-inflicted wound for the Democrats to settle for even benevolent mimicry of Mr. Trump’s hallucinatory circus act.

*  *  *

And let's talk for a minute about how all this "Oprah 2020" talk is diverting attention from the content of that awesome speech. It was (mostly) about eliminating the need for #MeToo, to put it succinctly.

Here it is, in case you've been living under a rock for the past 24 hours:

Why aren't we talking about how to make that new day dawn? Why aren't we talking about how to make harassment and assault socially unacceptable? Why aren't we talking about how to make respect for the personhood of all human beings...absolutely basic?

Why are we ignoring these critical topics, fixating on the fact that she spoke well and passionately, and jumping immediately to...'hey, let's make her president!'?

Why?

*  *  *

By the way, since electing Barack Obama didn't end racism, do we somehow think that electing Oprah would end sexism?!?

If an extremely qualified white woman, one of the most qualified people to ever run for the presidency, couldn't get elected to the highest office in this country (and...you're kidding yourself if you think misogyny didn't play a role), how well do you think a Black woman would do—without the requisite cultural change that Oprah's speech so beautifully called for happening first?

We cannot skip the hard, hard work of dismantling systems of racism and patriarchy and expect that electing a charismatic leader will in and of itself fix our problems. Even if that charismatic leader is very well qualified (see again: Obama).

*  *  *

Would I love to see a Black woman president? Absolutely. I say bring on the #BlackGirlMagic. I mean, the white guys haven't done all that well, for one thing. And Black women have been at the forefront of social change for ages. They know how to get shit done.

But first, we need to do (at least) these two critical things: 1) look for truly well-qualified presidential candidates (of any and all identities) and 2) get to work on fixing that which is broken both within ourselves and within how we relate to each other.

The future of our culture and our republic may well depend on it.