“This could be years; this could be the rest of either of your lives. So, treat it as if it’s still good time, not wasted time, and not lost time.”
Dr. Robert Pyle
Dr. Robert “Bob” Pyle is someone who deeply understands the complexities of caregiving, having acted in this capacity for his wife Thea Linnaea Pyle, who lived with ovarian cancer for a decade. He wrote about his experiences in a book that has inspired “The Dark Divide” (starring David Cross and Debra Messing), a newly-released major motion picture, which will donate a portion of its profits to OCRA and other nonprofits whose missions align with the film’s themes.
Bob sat down with the film’s producer/director Tom Putnam to share his wisdom exclusively with our ovarian cancer community, specifically, those who are caring for someone with the disease.
With gentleness and compassion, he speaks of being an advocate without imposing decisions (“The last thing a woman needs with ovarian cancer is mansplaining”); cautions about giving in to despair and defeat (“That’s not going to do any good in terms of maintaining her powers and her spirits”); and urges loved ones to treasure their time together (“It can be good for what’s left. And with great luck, there might be a lot left”).
Watch their conversation below.
