It was a cruel twist of fate: in November 2006 Chris O'Brien one of the country's leading head and neck cancer surgeonsi was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiformei, an aggressive and almost inevitably lethal form of brain cancer. Nevertheless he was determined to beat the odds. With the support of his close familyi, O'Brien took the option of radical brain surgery under the supervision of well known neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo. His journey renewed his faith in the importance of an optimistic outlook as the cornerstone of recovery. Here in his warm and lively memoir, Chris O'Brien takes a look back over his life from his modest beginnings and early years as a doctori, to becoming the popular face of RPA and his crusade for the establishment of cancer centresi, through to the shocking news that literally changed his life.