For those of you who love xkcd, the creator’s fiancee was suddenly diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer last October. I didn’t know this as I never read the accompanying blog, but there were 2 recent strips about breast cancer, so I started wondering. Looking through the forums, I found that his fiancee was undergoing treatment. Just wanted to let the board know in case you didn’t already. My thoughts go out to Randall and his fiancee. He’s a smart, awesome guy and I wish them the best.
I know he’s addressed it obliquely in his strip a few times. It must very difficult to be professionally funny for everyone when you have this hanging over your head all the time.
I was wondering who those five or so strips were about. It was obvious it was someone close to him.
Best of luck.
The strip dealt with this on and off for a while, but it wasn’t clear who had cancer. (I found out from Wikipedia, not the comic.) It’s an awful thing, but I hope her treatment is successful and it just becomes an ordeal they went through in the past - which it does for a lot of people.
I believe he sent an open letter to the community more-or-less asking for understanding as he does some cancer-themed material, since it’s too much on his mind and too strange not to work with. I remember reading a statement from him somewhere to that effect.
I figured out that she had cancer and that it was likely terminal from the comics. But still it’s something to hear him actually come out and say it. And Stage III breast cancer? I don’t use this word often, but “Damn.”
I think you mean his blog post here: Family Illness – xkcd
This seems so trivial to observe given the circumstances, but I think it’s lead to some of the best work he’s done in the two years I’ve been a regular reader.
–Cliffy
He didn’t say it was terminal, although it’s obviously even more serious at that stage. WebMD says 40 percent of patients live for eight years, if that gives you any idea.