I was mentally and temperamentally far from the "illness entity," I rejected the very idea that one day I could consider myself "sick." Then, one night, suddenly, tragedy struck, an event that left me petrified and dismayed, a burden heavier and more cumbersome than a boulder... I had expelled that copious, foul-smelling, clotted blood from my body, and it didn't seem possible it came from me. Within a few days, overwhelmed by events that seemed unreal to me, I had to face tests, invasive investigations, a devastating surgery, and then a tiring and debilitating post-operative journey, with my body transforming day after day, bearing the marks of scars, prolonged fasting, suffering, and then, finally, the harsh sentence of having to undergo multiple cycles of chemotherapy. My day is now marked by the protocol of IVs, the countless pills, the hand-to-hand combat waged against the tumor cells and the side effects of the many drugs I am forced to take; and from having to deal daily with the abnormal responses of one's body and the looming presence of a depressive state that is just around the corner... The shots by artist Marco Iannaccone Scarlet Lovejoy masterfully capture the drama of the event, the suffering and devastation on the body and face in a chronological crescendo of events. With the awareness, however, that in dramatic moments like these, the closeness, presence, and affection of a person capable of welcoming you, supporting you, and embracing you can make the suffering and discomfort more bearable. S.E.P.