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Always Order Ice Cream
Paperback
Publisher: Lieutenant Island Press
Published: Sep 15 2026
Pages: 166
Weight: 0.44
Height: 0.38 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
What would you do if you learned you had an 11 percent chance of living?
When fifty-year-old marketing executive Lee Rafkin opened his eyes after a colonoscopy, he overheard a nurse on the telephone, urgently scheduling an appointment for a new cancer patient. That patient was him.
In a single, terrifying moment, Lee's life-his marriage, his kids, his career-splintered into before and after. Diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer, Lee faced an 11 percent chance of survival. One doctor told him to get his affairs in order. But a more hopeful second opinion changed everything, setting Lee on an inspirational path toward survival.
Always Order Ice Cream is a raw and unexpectedly candid account of one man's battle against colon cancer, and the many choices, mistakes, and insights he gained along the way. It is a deeply human account of facing death head-on, confronting fear and uncertainty, navigating family dynamics, and summoning the will to keep going when survival feels improbable.
Written with humility and humor, first-time author Lee Rafkin shares his powerful story of resilience, recovery, and reinvention, reminding all of us that a second act is within reach.
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