We'd like to share a wonderful letter that a patient, Bob Linden, wrote, with the hope of inspiring others who are also fighting cancer. It is beautifully written and speaks to the power of courage and the human spirit. We're grateful that he has shared it with us and you.
Written by Bob Linden
My father once told me that to succeed, you didn’t need to be the brightest bulb in the box, you only needed to outwork everyone around you. I believe that those words ring true when faced with life’s greatest challenge.
Adversity is nothing new to anyone. We all face adversity in many phases of our lives: childhood, career, family, marriage, sickness and death. During these times, we need to reach down and find our inner strength to see us through the challenge.
Cancer is a devastating disease. It can change your life in a heartbeat. Eleven months ago, after a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate my 60th birthday I developed a high fever. I didn’t think anything dramatic was wrong because I was healthy and had not been sick in 20 years. I was admitted to the hospital and that night, after the tests came in, four doctors came into my room to tell me I had a perforated bowel caused by a large tumor, and that I had stage IV colon cancer which had spread to my liver and my lungs.
Needless to say, I and my family were stunned. My initial reaction was one of disbelief and I told them they must have the wrong guy. Unfortunately, they were right on target. I had cancer, and it was bad.
I have always thought of myself as a survivor. Now I was faced with the ultimate challenge. Because I was being told over and over that “statistically,” I had 22 to 36 months to live, I could easily have said, “Oh well, I had a great life,” and packed it in thinking, “It’s over”. Instead, I got angry. I said, “I’m not going anywhere in 22 months. What do I need to do to beat this?” The medical establishment and my family and I were on opposite ends of the spectrum on this issue. What was I to do now?!
The strategy we used to find my care facility started with the Internet. First, we obtained as much information as possible about my particular type of cancer, how diet affects cancer, alternative treatments in the USA and other countries, and information on conventional treatments in the USA. Eventually we obtained many books on the above subjects that led us to “Life Over Cancer” by Dr. Keith Block. His book described a five-phase approach to fighting cancer. The five phases involve diet, nutritional supplements, exercise, mind, body, spirit techniques and chronomodulated chemotherapy. It fit our research perfectly. A program designed to build your immune system to help fight the cancer, along with the timed chemotherapy, to diminish the harsh effects of the chemo, give you a great quality of life, and finally, a chance to stop cancer from further damage.
During our initial search for the right treatment, four top oncologists from leading cancer centers never talked about remission or beating cancer; I was only going to receive chemotherapy to keep me alive for as long as possible. Without our due diligence, I would not have found all the pieces that led me to the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, a place with people who believe in me and I in them, where I have had remarkable success and an outstanding quality of life. I am beating the odds.
So I urge you -- Do your research and find your place based upon full knowledge of your cancer and as many options as possible. Don’t settle for anything less.
I believe in certain values that help me get through my life and have helped me battle cancer. I would like to share a few with you:
- Don’t believe everything you hear. Statistics are flawed, people are wrong, and you are in control no matter what “they” say.
- You can’t do anything alone. It takes support in life to overcome all issues. In the battle with cancer, my family, friends, colleagues and even casual acquaintances have been so very supportive and inspire me to fight harder. They are the wind beneath my wings.
- Avoid negatives. Find your special place where you can go and dwell on the good things that have blessed your life. They are there; you just have to look for them. There are more than you can imagine.
- Remember that no matter what the trials are in your life, there is always someone worse off than you. As I recovered from my painful and invasive abdominal surgery, a commercial for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was on TV, highlighting the pediatric oncology ward. Those poor kids don’t even know what is happening to them. They have never had a chance to experience life. How can I feel sorry for myself, when I have been so blessed?
- Be your own advocate. Medicine is a strange bedfellow. Don’t take anything at face value. Do your research and don’t be intimidated because someone went to school longer than you did. Doctors are human and are not always right. Ask tough questions and demand hard answers. It’s your life at stake! Find a care facility that believes in you and you in them.
- Never forget the power of the human spirit to overcome overwhelming odds. Think about people you know or read about that have faced as tough a battle as cancer patients, and who found the inner strength and fortitude to survive. There are many examples. Everyone has the strength and courage to overcome extreme odds. You just have to inspire yourself to find it.
- Try to visualize your battle with cancer. See yourself fighting cancer in some form. Punch it, slap it, shoot it or drop a bomb on it, but see it destroyed every day.
I believe life, no matter how hard, is worth fighting for. There are always the special moments in our lives and the great expectation of even greater moments. No one said life is fair, and every now and then, it throws you a curveball. Remember, if you can’t hit the curveball, you can’t stay in the major leagues. I will hit every curve they throw at me because I intend to stay in the majors a long, long time. Cancer doesn’t realize who it is up against!
Stay physically strong, mentally intense and be well. Life is well worth the struggle despite the tough road on which we travel. Never give up, because as long as we have one breath to take, we have hope. No one can ask for more.
Don’t be afraid to share your experience with cancer. It is an illness and it does not define you. It is nothing to be ashamed of and you didn’t do anything wrong to get it. It happens. Your story may help others to understand better. It may make a difference in someone’s life. It doesn’t get any better than that. In the end, we will be judged for the way we touch other lives, our courage and determination during the tough times, the example we have shown under stress and adversity, how we handled life’s challenges, and what we find in the very best of ourselves.
Bob, thank you for this well-written and powerful message. It made me remind myself where I once was. I recall a similar path which led me to the Block Center. I was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in my liver. I was not going to settle for being a statistic. The integrative therapies used at Block are highly effective. I have been cancer free for nearly three years. Qigong helped me visualize cancer leaving my body in the form of butterflies. The mind is a very powerful tool. I wish you the very best. Thank you again for your message as it influences my path as well. Please keep in touch. Karyn Huemoeller
Posted by: Karyn Huemoeller | 11/22/2010 at 12:01 PM