Farrah Fawcett has been involved in a well-publicized battle with cancer since 2006. Until now, most of the stories have been told through the tabloids, and as a result, have either been inaccurate (like the Enquirer infamously saying that Fawcett wanted to die) or were published only after Fawcett’s personal medical records had been illegally accessed by UCLA Hospital staff members.
But with last Friday night’s airing of Farrah’s Story, a documentary filmed by those closest to Fawcett and produced by the iconic ’70s pinup girl, the general public finally got the real inside scoop of what Fawcett has been going through for three years.
The film shows the ups and downs that you’d expect to see from someone in this condition. Farrah’s highs include traveling to Germany for experimental treatment that rid her body of tumors and lesions at least for a short time, and gave her many more months than her UCLA doctors predicted.
The lows included Farrah’s near-constant pain from countless medical procedures, the devastating news that the cancer returned even after the experimental treatment, the loss of her trademark hair thanks to chemotherapy, and what will likely end up being a final goodbye with son Redmond, who was let out of prison for three hours for this purpose.
Farrah’s Story is an intense look at what Fawcett and life partner Ryan O’Neal have been through. My heart positively broke for Farrah when she realized that her hair was falling out. And I definitely lost it when Redmond came to say goodbye, mostly because at that point (which I think was maybe earlier this month), Farrah seemed pretty far gone. She was heavily medicated and/or sedated, and didn’t seem to even know who Redmond was.
Overall, I thought this was a very good documentary, as the viewer is with Farrah at every step of the way during her journey. I know some critics have come out against the film, saying that it didn’t do enough to let viewers know that early detection is key to this type of cancer. But this was called Farrah’s Story, not How to Detect and Treat Rectal Cancer, so their criticisms are unfair.
The whole documentary can be viewed online here on MSNBC in 11 parts. I highly recommend it.
Good luck with the rest of your fight, Farrah. You’re strong, and you’re determined to get through this. I wish you all the best!