There's a Flying Squirrel in My Coffee: Overcoming Cancer with the Help of My Pet

From Publishers Weekly
It's not obvious from the title that this is the tale of a person who has a brush with a life-threatening disease and comes out of lengthy hospital procedures brimming with mental and spiritual strength. Goss (The Luckiest Unlucky Man Alive) was a navy pilot with a wife and two young children when he was diagnosed with skin cancer and given six months to live. After a harrowing operation that removed his left ear, Goss fought hard to return to normal life. Of course, his "normal" life which included flying spy planes and living in a gorgeous Florida home surrounded by wildlife was a motivating factor. To help his recovery, a friend who knew of Goss's love for animals and need to keep busy gave him a small flying squirrel to look after. Goss started to see the little squirrel Rocky as a copilot of sorts as he navigated his way out of mummifying bandages and toward health. He doesn't offer much in the way of suspense, nor does he give substantial insight into the treatment of skin cancer. But Goss's relentlessly upbeat attitude and goofily eccentric style make this bizarre tale somehow come together. Despite a tendency to load the pages with aphorisms like the five Fs of Fulfillment (Family, Friends, Faith, Focus, Fun), Goss also pokes fun at himself and has such an infectious love for flying and animals that readers will inevitably root for him to beat every obstacle in his path. B&w photos.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
What if you just finished the most exciting day of your life -- a thirty-year dream exploding into a spectacular reality -- then the next day you found out you were going to die? How would you feel? What would you do? Lt. Commander Bill Goss, USN (Ret), lived the American Dream. Ever since he was a boy and heard about Chuck Yeager's historic flight, this hard-working man had dreams of breaking the sound barrier. Many things happened that could have defused his dream (including working as a garbage man), but Goss persevered...and twenty years after slinging his last trash can was strapped into the rear cockpit of a dual-seat F-18 Hornet ready to break the sound barrier. Bill Goss figured that this exhilarating flight would keep him on cloud nine for a very long time. He figured wrong. The next day he heard three of the most terrifying words in the English language: You have cancer. This is Bill Goss's inspiring account of his triumph over a deadly form of skin cancer: his love for family and friends, his courage and pride, and most of all, his affection for a little bundle of fur that fell from a nest in an old oak tree. Turns out that this tiny flying squirrel, soon named Rocky, was just the right copilot for Goss. Whether nestled in the pocket of Goss's bathrobe or perched high upon his head, this little aviator helped his pilot navigate the ups and downs of cancer. He turned out to be the perfect distraction -- and the perfect little friend. Writing with honesty, bravery, and humor, this former Navy pilot and father of twins shares the story of his all-out war on cancer, and his remarkable journey back to health. Determined and sincere, Goss describes how his deep-seated connections to his family, to his friends, to nature, to his animals -- and especially to his "copilot," an injured baby flying squirrel named Rocky -- aided him in the enriching and unforgettable fight of his life.


About the Author
Bill Goss, a retired lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, is a business consultant and motivational speaker who has appeared on dozens of television and radio programs. Cancer-free for seven years, he lives near Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife and two children -- and their good buddy Rocky!


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In solid, homespun prose, inspirational speaker and melanoma survivor Goss (The Luckiest Unlucky Man Alive, not reviewed) offers wisdom gleaned from his battle against cancer. "Being a pilot and breaking the sound barrier was all I ever wanted to do," writes Goss. The day after he did both, he learned he had malignant skin cancer and might have only six months to live. Believing that "most fears can be conquered through greater understanding," he immediately started learning all he could about his cancer. Radical surgery was in his immediate future, but he also came to understand the importance of such everyday things as drinking enough water and taking advantage of the salubrious effects of fiber and garlic. On the spiritual level, he tried to tap into those elements of life that meant the most and made him feel good: family, friends, faith, focus, and fun. Avoiding a hard sell, Goss suggests that "the five Fs" worked for him, providing welcome structure and resources he could rely on. Also critical was the bond he created with a life-loving flying squirrel named Rocky. Goss set some goals (to see his twin children graduate from elementary school) and took on projects like restoring a cabin in the woods (the great outdoors never ceases to fill him with joy) to provide a sense of purpose and direction. He hit the talk-show circuit after an earlier book and a contribution to one of the Chicken Soup collections caught the attention of producers from The 700 Club to The Howard Stern Show. He stumped to increase the nation's awareness of just how important it is to detect cancers early. A bombastic final chapter on fighting the war against terrorism as one would fight cancer cells doesn'tobscure the fact that Goss has nobly locked horns with a deadly and frightening disease and survived for (so far) seven years. Homely advice of enduring quality.


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