Always Order Ice Cream: My Journey as a Stage IV Cancer Survivor

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 kids, 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 is a raw and unexpectedly candid account of one man’s battle against colon cancer, and the many choices, mistakes, and insights he gained along the way. It is a deeply human account of facing death head-on, confronting fear and uncertainty, navigating family dynamics, 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 all of us that a second act is within reach.