SHRINKAGE

Radio personality Bishop, aka “Bald Bryan” from the Adam Carolla Show podcast, depicts his battle with an inoperable brain tumor.

In 2008, surfing a wave of personal and career success in radio, the 30-year-old author began experiencing troubling health issues beginning with numbness in his lips and tongue and a lack of coordination. He would consume a beer or two and become extremely drunk. For five months, he kept quiet regarding his symptoms. Finally, Bishop confided to the love of his life and live-in girlfriend, Christie, that something was wrong. Initially given six months to live, Bishop began radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Combining humor with the stark reality of his situation, Bishop shepherds readers through his life following the bleak diagnosis. From being fitted for his radiation mask to his bachelor party in Las Vegas, a comical trip to a sperm bank, his wedding and honeymoon in Maui, the author chronicles both the highs and lows of his journey through the disease. “Things started to get significantly worse after our honeymoon,” he writes. “For the next month, my symptoms worsened almost by the day.” The author adroitly weaves his family story and professional exploits into the tale of his illness, and he also mixes in the personal touchstones of his journey, including the playlists he used during his treatment; photos; a list of his greatest regrets; and down-to-earth advice for those facing this serious illness (“Tumor Tips”). Bishop recounts the pressures on his new wife, the financial stress the couple faced and his guilt over a family breach spawned by the emotional stress of his illness.

A candid recounting of this funnyman’s navigation across cancer’s rocky terrain and his trek back to health. Bishop’s narrative brings a much-appreciated dose of human warmth to a dark and scary place.