After losing the war against her husband’s cancer, University professor Kathryn Anthony keeps on fighting.

Anthony, a professor of architecture and women’s studies, spoke about her husband, Barry Riccio, and his struggle with cancer at the Illini Union Bookstore Thursday afternoon. Before Riccio died, the couple documented their experience in the book, “Running for Our Lives,” which Anthony signed after the talk.

“The book is about my relationship with Barry and our odyssey with cancer,” Anthony said. “When faced with adversity, we mustered whatever strength we had and fought back.”

Riccio was a history professor at Eastern Illinois University. Anthony said he was diagnosed with cancer in 1993 after she took him to the hospital because he fainted at a party. He was 38 at the time.

Riccio was pronounced “terminal” at 40, but lived until he was 46. Anthony attributed her husband’s resilience to his participation in clinical trials.

Riccio gained national attention when medical teams used experimental cancer treatments on him. He appeared in Time, the Chicago Tribune, ABC Evening News and NBC Nightly News.

Cancer took Riccio through five states, seven operations and about 400 blood transfusions, Anthony said. She described their struggle as “dodging bullets.”

She said the strong sense of community in Champaign and Urbana also helped them get through the ordeal.

“When bad things happen, Champaign-Urbana is a good place to be,” she said. “People really do have angelic qualities around here.”

Anthony said publishers declined to issue the book, telling her “the illness market is saturated.”

So, she printed it herself.

“I’m still proud of the project I did, even though it was not done in the traditional way,” she said. “I think it’s important that people’s stories are told. This book was really a labor of love for me.”

Anthony brought pictures of her husband and her and one of his many Greek fisherman caps, which she said was her way of “having him here in spirit, if not in person.”

“He felt like he was a warrior in this situation,” Anthony said. “I think that was one of the hardest things for him – when he realized that he didn’t win the war.”

Richard Perry of Patient Account Services, a business in Champaign, said he attended the book signing to show his support for Anthony.

“I got to know Mr. Riccio relatively well … and the thing I appreciate about him was his willingness to be such a guinea pig for the cause,” Perry said.

As an employee of Patient Account Services, Perry helped Riccio and Anthony manage their health care billing.

Nancy Page, a professor at Eastern Illinois University, said she met Riccio and Anthony during the last year of his life when the couple created a fund in Riccio’s honor. The fund brings historical lecturers to Eastern Illinois University.

“This kind of book is not only a testament to what Barry and Kathryn went through, but I think it will also be a hope to others who are battling cancer,” Page said.

Anthony said typically stressful situations are nothing compared to trying to save someone’s life on a daily basis. From the experience, she learned to value her health. She now exercises regularly.

“Every day out of the hospital is a good day – whether I’m the patient or not,” she said “Our health is the most important thing; it overshadows everything.”