Brian Blum

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Brian Blum is a freelance writer, journalist and editor. He works for an eclectic mix of newspapers, online magazines, universities, non-profit organizations and public companies. "This Normal Life," his personal blog, has appeared weekly since 2002. A former hi-tech entrepreneur, Brian moved to Jerusalem from the San Francisco Bay Area in 1994 with his wife and three children. More at Blum Interactive Media

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A man sticks his head in the sand in denial (illustrative)

A coma of denial: A cancer patient's struggle with facing mortality - opinion

 IRON DOME near Ashdod fires an intercepting missile.

Cloudy with a chance of missiles: A cancer patient's bad diagnosis during war - opinion

 An illustrative image of psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms.

This is your brain on magic mushrooms: My first experience with psilocybin - opinion


Could consciousness last forever? - opinion

Compare consciousness to a radio. You can smash the radio and the music stops, but that doesn’t mean the music came from the radio.

 Composition of human head and fractal colors to serve as a supporting backdrop for projects on mind, dreams, thinking, consciousness, and imagination.

Words matter: How we speak about cancer can hinder healing - opinion

"Nearly every conversation – be it in person, via WhatsApp, or other types of Internet communication – is not really about me. It’s about consoling you."

 Blocks spelling out "its all about me/you"

The full Monty: When dog and owner are both battling cancer - opinion

For both of us, a sinister countdown had started.

 Celebrating Monty on one of his anniversaries.

To pee or not to pee: A cancer patient's experience with a nephrostomy - opinion

I’m looking forward to when my cancer is entirely gone, the nephrostomy is no longer needed, and I can pee like the rest of humanity again. 

 An illustrative image of kidneys.

Indulging in TV: A cancer patient's escape - opinion

I’d much rather be outdoors hiking or having fun beyond the telly – I hope that will come back. In the meantime, TV it is.

Man Watching TV

Fighting cancer: How a hospital stay at Hadassah feels like an international flight - opinion

I envisioned hospitalization as being somewhat akin to taking an international flight to an exotic location.

 An illustrative image of a man with luggage at an airport as a flight takes off.

When cancer treatment goes wrong: An irreversibly damaged kidney and worsened lymphoma - opinion

The stent hadn’t helped after all; the impacted kidney had, in fact, been irreversibly damaged and was now functioning at a paltry 20%. Why? The cancer was back, and worse.

Cancer (Illustrative)

My first fentanyl: What it was like being sedated by the infamous narcotic - opinion

Fentanyl has long been used for pain reduction and sedation in medical settings.

 FENTANYL LOLLIPOP.

Horrors and heroes: Reasons to bless the bad that came from Oct. 7 - opinion

The Mishna suggests that even the most personal of tragedies can and should receive a blessing.

 British-Israeli former hostage Emily Damari poses for a photo with her mother, Mandy, after being released from Gaza where she was held since the deadly October 7 2023 attack by Hamas, at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, in this handout image obtained by Reuters on January 21, 2025.

8 essential English-language podcasts to understand Israel's war - opinion

Here are eight essential English-language podcasts that have kept me in the know.

 An illustrative image of a microphone and soundwaves.