What would you do if you only had an 11 percent chance of living?

When fifty-year-old marketing executive Lee Rafkin opened his eyes after a colonoscopy, he overheard a nurse on the telephone, urgently scheduling an appointment for a new cancer patient. That patient was him.

In a single, terrifying moment, Lee’s life—his marriage, his relationships, his career—splintered into before and after. Diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer, Lee faced an 11 percent chance of survival. One doctor told him to “get his affairs in order.” But a more hopeful second opinion changed everything, setting Lee on an inspirational path toward survival.

Always Order Ice Cream: My Journey as a Stage IV Cancer Survivor is a raw and unexpectedly candid account of one man’s battle against colon cancer, the choices and mistakes he made, and the insights he gained along the way. It is a deeply human account of facing death head-on, confronting fear and uncertainty, and summoning the will to keep going when survival feels improbable.

Written with humility and humor, first-time author Lee Rafkin shares his powerful story of resilience, recovery, and reinvention, reminding us all that a second act is within reach.