When 55-year-old Marie Fricker complained of a burning hot foot, chills, and a pins-and-needles feeling crawling up her leg, nobody paid much attention. Marie was a lifelong hypochondriac and frequently predicted her own doom from perceived maladies ranging from cholera to the common cold. As far as her friends and family were concerned, this was just one more. It wasn't. Three weeks after the birth of her first grandchild, Marie was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. She was treated with chemotherapy and went into remission but was given only a 20 percent chance of surviving five years without a recurrence. Eight years later, the author tells her story of fear, perseverance, and hope with a wry humor that sheds light into the dark abyss of battling a catastrophic disease. You will laugh and cry with her and benefit from her Top 15 List of practical strategies for coping with cancer.