In the summer of 2020, I started to feel very fatigued. So I went to the doctor and they saw that there was a big, huge mass poking up next to my heart. They imaged my heart and they found this huge mass. That was an indication that they needed to open up my chest and to open heart surgery and remove it. And after a few days, the report came back and the pathologist said, well, you have a rare kind of cancer called synovial sarcoma. He had about six to 18 months to live.
At age 59, neuroscientist David Linden received a startling diagnosis of heart cancer. Even in the face of a terminal illness, David is continuing to think like a scientist. He shares what he's learned from watching his mind grapple with his own mortality, and how the diagnosis has changed his experience of time. Maya and David also discuss the power of curiosity and how it can aid us in moments of profound suffering.
If you enjoyed this conversation, check out this episode from the archive: “The Life-Changing Diagnosis.”
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