Crazy Sexy Lifestyle

The New York Times Magazine profiled Kris Carr this past weekend ("Crazy Sexy Entrepreneur"). Carr, who was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma called epithelioid hemangioendothelioma in 2003, filmed her cancer journey and detailed her shock, depression, and ultimately her attitude and lifestyle change in a 90-minute documentary. Carr has stage 4 EHE, but has not had to undergo treatment. However, that could change at any time. So she lives with the reality of a life-threatening illness over her head. Where others might choose to push thoughts of cancer aside until absolutely necessary, Carr has chosen to think about it every day. Since her diagnosis, she has made her lifestyle changes and attitude into a type of wellness brand.We published an earlier piece on Carr ("Scenes from a Cancer Quest") in Heal, a short-lived survivorship magazine that CURE produced through 2008.Much like Lance Armstrong, but with green juices instead of yellow wristbands, Carr has become a "cancerlebrity." Her websites, best-selling books and tours have made Carr's cancer a springboard for a mission and, ultimately, a career. (CURE will be profiling other patient and survivors in a "making cancer your mission" feature later this year, so stay tuned.)While some may be critical of Carr's über-healthy lifestyle and career aspirations, I think it boils down to cancer patients wanting to have some sort of control over their body, whether it's through exercise, supplement use, diet or enemas. Carr developed a lifestyle that she says has helped her live better – whether that has kept her cancer stable is still unknown.