A SHORT GOOD LIFE

A memoir recalls a fierce, two-year battle against leukemia fought by the author’s young daughter.

Liza was diagnosed in October 1994 at the age of 4. The bone marrow test revealed “acute lymphocytic leukemia.” As devastating as the news was, there was great hope for her survival. “Pre-B cell leukemia is the most successfully treated,” the New York Mount Sinai Hospital doctor told Lister and his wife. “The cure rate is high, now greater than 80 percent.” And Liza had no known risk factors, making her an ideal candidate for the two-year course of treatment. The author and his wife, Elena, both psychiatrists, had faith in the primary members of the oncology team, and Liza was admitted to the hospital, where she remained for a month, receiving the first round of treatment. She was given strong doses of steroids to counteract the effects of the chemotherapy. Then there were medicines to counteract the effects of the steroids. Six weeks after returning home and receiving the good news that she was in remission, Liza returned to the hospital with a major fungal infection. This was followed by her developing severe pancreatitis as a result of one of the chemo drugs. And round and round it went, for two years. Lister describes in detail the many procedures and medications Liza endured, imparting valuable information for families facing similar journeys. Notwithstanding his gratitude for the skill, care, and compassion of the medical professionals, he also issues a warning to readers: Be alert. In a chilling passage, he writes of catching a careless error when Liza was almost given 10 times the correct dose of a powerful medication. But the strength of the heartbreaking memoir rests with the author’s ability to capture, through narration and daily dialogue, the inner turmoil and resilience of each family member (including Liza’s older sister, Molly), as they struggled together through the frustrations, anger, doubts, love, hopes, and fears during this painful ordeal. Liza—so young yet so courageous and articulate, even as she knew she was dying—remains a vibrant presence in these pages.

An emotionally honest, informative, and beautifully composed cancer account; a solid addition to the genre.