so here 's how it went in god 's heart : the six or seven or ten of us walked/wheeled in , grazed at a decrepit selection of cookies and lemonade , sat down in the circle of trust , and listened to patrick recount for the thousandth time his depressingly miserable life story-how he had cancer in his balls and they thought he was going to die but he did n't die and now here he is , a full-grown adult in a church basement in the 137th nicest city in america , divorced , addicted to video games , mostly friendless , eking out a meager living by exploiting his cancertastic past , slowly working his way toward a master 's degree that will not improve his career prospects , waiting , as we all do , for the sword of damocles to give him the relief that he escaped lo those many years ago when cancer took both of his nuts but spared what only the most generous soul would call his life .