Cancer Can’t Stop the Almighty Cashdollar

A friend and colleague announced via Facebook and Twitter that he has thyroid cancer.

Larry Cashdollar — an Akamai security researcher I like to call “The Almighty Cashdollar” — was tested a few weeks ago, and I know he’s been worried. Now, at least, he knows what he’s up against.

Mood music:

He wrote:

I have thyroid #cancer. I’ve been waiting for the last week for my biopsy results and the doctor called today.

— Larry W. Cashdollar (@_larry0) February 17, 2014

But he’s going to prevail. Here’s why.

• As cancers go, the thyroid variety is among the most easily beaten. I know quite a few people who had it and, since surgery, have been cancer free.
• Larry is tough. I’ve seen it in his workmanship. This is a guy who continued trying to do security research while lying in a hospital bed with  pneumonia.
• He has a good sense of humor. One of the first conversations I had with him was at dinner during last summer’s Black Hat hacker conference. We had a lot of laughs that night, and humor is the greatest weapon we have in a world gone mad.
• He’s prevailed against the tough stuff before. Did I mention he tried to keep working from a hospital bed once? The dude is crazy, and you can’t beat crazy.
• He has a lot of people pulling for him at home and work.

Now that you have an answer, I know you’re going to overcome this in short order, my friend.

I look forward to writing about your security research again. I doubt I’ll be waiting long.